


Could You Love Me Anyway

by MultiFandomAnon



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Endgame Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, Inspired by The Back-up Plan, Pregnant Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Swan Queen Supernova 2019 (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-10-03 23:20:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 47,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20461187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultiFandomAnon/pseuds/MultiFandomAnon
Summary: Regina is more than ready to start a family...there’s only one thing missing—Mr. (or Mrs.) Right.With her steady job, and the support of her friends, she steps into the process of getting what she wants the most—a child of her own.Little does she know, is that the possibility of love is just a cab ride away.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rxldgxld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rxldgxld/gifts), [misthavens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misthavens/gifts).

> First off, I want to thank _**Sarah.**_ Sarah has been with me though every up and down and she's amazing, helping me not fall on my face! _**Ang**_, you're the best, and you've been immensely helpful even though I'd already finished this whole thing before we actually started talking! _**Ivy**_, _**Liz**_...you guys rock for helping me read through it and telling me what you thought! 
> 
> This was my first time participating in the SQSN, and while I was sure I wouldn't stress...I stressed in the end. Like...really stressed. 
> 
> I want to thank the amazing artists that made their amazing art for this fic!

Regina Mills was nervous. 

Of course she had every reason to be nervous. She was laid out on an exam table with her feet up in stirrups, waiting for the doctor to arrive. 

She wanted to be a mother. 

Somewhere in her life she went wrong, because she hadn’t found  _ that  _ person yet and she didn’t think she would. 

So she made the only logical decision; she would use a sperm donor, and she’d raise a baby on her own. 

Her life was stable enough. She was the mayor of a small town called Storybrooke and she had friends to fall back on if she ever needed help.

Regina was ready to become a mother. 

But her hands—even balled up in tight fists on her stomach—shook at the thought of doing it all on her own. 

The process of being artificially inseminated was something she’d rather not have to go through; the hormone treatments and the doubts that cropped up whenever she was home alone were crippling, but she knew that the end result was definitely worth it.

She was ready, but she was still nervous. 

The door opened and Regina moved to sit up on her elbows. Luckily, the nurse that had helped her earlier had thought about covering her up. 

The doctor that walked in had a soft, friendly face and her smile put Regina at ease almost straight away. 

“Hello, Miss Mills.” 

Regina had seen her before, she’d done the intake for this procedure and knew that Regina was planning on doing it all on her own, but couldn’t for the life of her remember her name. 

She didn’t think it was really important though.

“Hello,” she greeted with a shaky voice. 

“Are you ready for this new chapter in your life?” The smile never left her face as she readied what she needed. Regina hummed, not sure what to answer. “It’s okay to be nervous, it’s a big step!”

“I know.” She watched as the doctor settled between her legs, and she swallowed against the nervous laughter that seemed to want to escape her. “Could you...could you talk to me while you work?”

The doctor looked up, the smile  _ still  _ on her face and Regina wondered how she could keep smiling that brightly. While it helped ease some of her nerves earlier, it only seemed to set her on edge now. 

“Of course. I know we’ve talked about this before,” the doctor started as she pulled on a pair of medical gloves, “but why did you choose to do this alone?”

Regina leaned back on the table when the doctor gestured for her to lay back down, and she held one hand on her stomach while she placed the other beneath her head. 

“I felt like I didn’t have the time to find someone, fall in love with them, get married and then have babies. It would take too long to get to that point with someone.” She had really thought about it, and had even dated her share of eligible men. “As mayor, I just don’t have time to waste on romance.” 

“But you do have time to waste on a baby?”

The question was to be expected. She’d asked herself that question more than once; because how could she want a baby, but not the romance that should have gone hand in hand with that process?

“I grew up being told that love was  _ weakness _ if I wanted to go somewhere.” She swallowed thickly as her mother’s voice filled her head, those words said more than once. “My mother was a hard woman, she wanted me to succeed in life, and pushed me to be the absolute best I could be. She still does, in fact.” Regina shook her head as she realized that she was  _ still  _ letting her mother dictate her life, even at thirty. “And there aren’t a lot of men where I live, every handsome man was already taken.” 

The doctor chuckled at the obvious joke to lighten the mood, and then placed a hand on Regina’s foot. “Well, right now all you can do is wait and see if it takes.” 

Regina blinked. “It’s done?”

“Yes.” The doctor snapped off the gloves and stood to her feet. “We did all of the prep work already, this was just the finishing touch.”

“So..what do I do now? Do I...should I stay here for a while?” Regina frowned as she tried to remember what was expected after being inseminated and she sighed when she drew a blank. 

“If you feel like that would ease your worries, you can stay here for as long as you like. It’s not necessary though.” The smile sounded through her words and Regina lifted herself up on her elbows again to look at the doctor. 

She narrowed her eyes. “That was...it wasn’t what I expected.” 

“You’re not done yet, Regina.” The doctor helped her lower her feet from the stirrups. “I have to warn you that it might not take even though you have been on hormone treatment.”

“I realize that.” 

Regina didn’t feel like she could move yet, so she stayed seated on the table, shivers running through her body. 

“I’ll give you an early pregnancy test, you can take it in two to three weeks.” She took Regina’s chart and wrote on it, concentration clear on her face and for the first time since she’d entered the room, there was no smile on her face. 

“I thought I’d have to come back here for the test?” 

The doctor hummed. “Normally I’d have you come back here for that, yes. You’ve made it clear that you’re a very busy woman, though. I wouldn’t want you to have to come here when the home pregnancy tests of this time are just as good as the test we use.” 

It surprised Regina. She had expected to have to come back for a blood test or something more invasive. “Oh.” 

“You seem disappointed.”

“No, just surprised.” Regina narrowed her eyes. “I expected to have to come back here so that it could be confirmed?” 

The doctor smiled again. “We help you through the process of insemination and will help you find a suitable obstetrician when the procedure takes.” She placed a gentle hand on Regina’s knee. “I don’t see the need to have you come back here unless you need another insemination.”

Regina sat up. She still didn’t know what she had expected, but it wasn’t  _ this _ . 

They were letting her go, just like that?

“Alright.” 

“And,” the doctor added, “you’re a healthy young woman, with a healthy uterus; I wouldn’t see the need to keep that close of an eye on you. You didn’t come here because you  _ couldn’t  _ conceive, right?” 

Regina inclined her head. “Right.”

“I’ll have the clinic assistant give you what you need, the information for an obstetrician and the early pregnancy test.” The doctor held out her hand and Regina took it in a daze. “The best of luck to you, Miss Mills.”

Regina blinked and gave the doctor her best politician smile. “Thank you.” 

Because even though she was surprised and confused, she didn’t want to prolong this appointment unnecessarily. 

What she wanted, was to go to her hotel and sleep, because she had the rest of the day off and she hadn’t been sleeping because of the nerves. 

While the doctor hadn’t pointed out any possible side effects, Regina knew taking it easy for the remainder of the day was recommended. 

The door closed behind the doctor and Regina blinked up in surprise, not even having noticed the woman had turned and left the room. 

She sighed, and looked down at her hands that were clenched tightly in her lap. When she unclenched them, they were still shaking. 

She had every reason to be nervous, even more so now that the procedure had actually taken place. Because now the wait for something else started, the one thing that could change her  _ entire _ life.

—SQ—

Regina kept the plastic bag, filled with the necessary information on what to expect, plus an early pregnancy test, tightly to her chest as she stood against the building. 

She’d walked to the clinic from her hotel, not really in the mood to drive, especially not when it had been such nice weather. 

But now the rain was coming down hard. 

She adjusted the bag against her chest and held out her hand to hail a cab. It only took a second before her hand and part of her sleeve were soaked. 

It didn’t take long for one of those ugly yellow cabs to stop in front of her, and she held the plastic bag over her head as she ran toward it, opened the door and climbed into the back. 

She closed her door, and jumped when it echoed on the other side. She shivered as she looked up, her eyes locking with green eyes. 

“This is my cab,” she said, and then bit the inside of her cheek at the childish way it had come out. Green eyes looked at her in amusement. 

They were surrounded by a pale face and the most beautiful, curly blonde hair. Thin lips curled up in an amused smile that completed the beauty of the woman’s face. 

Regina blinked. 

“We actually got here right around the same time.” The blonde said, amusement clear. “I’m not going out there in this rain.  _ You _ can get another cab.” 

Regina bristled. “No.  _ I  _ hailed this cab, so you can get another.” 

The blonde chuckled and turned to the front. “What do you say, driver...would you be willing to drive us both to where we need to be?” The cab driver simply rolled his eyes with a nod. The woman turned back to Regina. “What about you? Are you willing to risk it? I’ll even have him drop me off at home before he drops you off, how does that sound?”

Regina huffed, and put the bag next to her on the seat. One glance at the blonde told her what she needed to know; she was stubborn and wouldn’t get out of the cab. 

“I’m not paying if he has to drive all over town to drop you off,” she grumbled. She was annoyed that she had to share a cab and couldn’t read the material she had gotten, she  _ needed _ to know what to expect. 

She turned to look out the window as the woman told the driver her address, somewhere in the upper class parts of Boston. 

It was going to take a while before she got back to the hotel, and she sighed.

The bag laid against her leg, and for some reason she was glad the name of the clinic was nowhere to be found on it, luckily they promoted discretion. 

“I’m Emma,” the woman said and Regina turned toward the blonde and narrowed her eyes. “We’ll be here, together, for at least fifteen minutes, might as well fill the silence, right?”

And for whatever inexplicable reason, Regina sighed, and turned away from the window and toward  _ Emma _ . 

“Regina.” She smiled surprisingly genuine, considering her annoyance at having to share a cab. 

“Nice to meet you, Regina.” Emma smiled brightly and Regina sucked in a breath when her heart skipped a beat at the sight. “So what brings you to Boston?” 

Regina smirked. “Who says I’m not  _ from  _ Boston?” 

Emma shrugged, and glanced down at Regina's hands on her lap before she focused on her face again. “You don’t seem like the kind of woman to live in the city...maybe a small town.” 

Regina looked down at her clothes, wondering where Emma got that impression from. She wore skinny jeans, heels, and a T-shirt covered by a thin jacket. 

There was no way Emma could have gotten anything from  _ that _ , so Regina assumed she’d simply guessed. 

“Good guess.” She was impressed either way. “I’m from a small town called Storybrooke.” 

“Sounds familiar. I’ve never been but I’m sure it’s nice,” Emma said thoughtfully and Regina hummed as she watched the blonde. “I was born and raised here. Or at least, from what I was told.”

Regina frowned. “What does that mean?”

“I was found by the side of the road, just outside of Boston. Never got adopted or anything, so my intel might not be the best,” Emma said with a wink, but Regina could tell it still hurt to talk about. 

So she changed the subject. “I’m the mayor of Storybrooke.” It surprised her as much as it seemed to surprise Emma that she had blurted that little snippet of information. 

But somehow, she trusted Emma. 

Somehow she trusted a complete stranger. 

Emma’s eyes widened in her surprise. “No way, how?”

“What do you mean?” Regina asked. “How did I become mayor so young, or how did I become mayor in the first place?” 

“Both,” Emma said with a shake of her head. “I can’t imagine a little girl would dream of becoming mayor.”

“I was raised to aspire to greatness; I decided the highest I wanted to go was this.” Regina shrugged. It was a half truth, she hadn’t wanted to go further than being mayor mostly because she actually liked the job. “What do you do?” 

Emma smiled that bright smile again. “I’m working on opening my own coffee shop. We’re in the middle of renovations so it’ll be another two months before the grand opening.”

Before Regina could reply, the driver turned around. “I’m sorry ladies, it seems like we got stuck in traffic.”

Regina glanced out of the window, where the rain was still coming down in sheets, and she shrugged. “It’s not as if I have somewhere to be.” 

“Me either, but try turning into the next street over when you get the chance.” She leaned forward with a smile. “It might take a little longer, but usually no one uses that route.”

When she sat back, she leaned her head back with a sigh. Regina lifted a brow. “Bad day?” 

Emma hummed. “Long, mostly. I never expected that it was such hard work to open your own coffee shop.” She opened her eyes and smiled. “But I’m sure as mayor you know exactly how hard it is to have that much responsibility.”

Regina chuckled, and then inclined her head. “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.” 

They fell into a comfortable conversation, it felt like they had known each other for years and Regina had only felt that way with one other person. 

She enjoyed Emma’s smile, and the way she listened carefully to what Regina was telling her, which she carefully kept as light as possible. 

“My best friend Kathryn suggested I find a way to spend the night outside of Storybrooke. I’ve been dealing with some changes going around and it’s been stressful.”

And it had been. 

Kathryn was one of the two people she had told about her insemination appointment, the other was her assistant in case she had to cancel. 

“I can’t imagine being mayor, I’m sure everyone wants something from you.”

Emma smiled with so much understanding that Regina could only hum in response, her throat tight. 

She hadn’t wanted to be mayor at first; she loved animals and had always wanted to work at the stables. Her mother had pushed hard, though, and she had ended up loving her job more than she expected. 

“I love my job, don’t get me wrong. I have worked hard to get where I am, and I love it,” she explained, her voice soft as the cab finally turned into the street Emma had pointed out earlier. She brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed it in thought. “It’s just sometimes, they want too much, all at the same time.”

“Yea, I get that.” Emma leaned a little closer and gently placed a hand on Regina’s knee. “I am sure you can handle anything, though. So while you might need a day or two here, I’m sure when you get back you’ll have found a way to fix everything that needs fixing.” 

The mood shifted and the distance between them closed considerably, emotionally  _ and  _ physically. 

The air around them changed, thickened, and for a split second Regina wanted nothing more than to kiss Emma. 

She wanted to kiss a complete stranger.

Regina swallowed and cleared her throat. “Thank you, Emma.”

The cab stopped, and Regina startled when Emma took her hand off of her knee. The warmth of Emma’s hand had left Regina wanting more. 

“We’re at our first destination.”

“This is my stop,” Emma looked as disappointed as Regina felt. 

Regina tried to think of a way to keep Emma close for a little while longer, but there was nothing she could do or say. “Well.” 

“Well.” Emma smiled. 

“Have a great life, Emma.” 

Emma hummed and winked. “You too, Regina.” 

She watched Emma get out of the cab after having handed the man a wad of cash and didn’t stop watching until the cab driver grunted in frustration. 

“Look, lady, you either get out or tell me where to go. I’m losing precious time here.”

She turned away from Emma for just a second, to glare at the man, but then she refocused her attention outside.

Emma was already gone.

—SQ— 

She knew she had messed up by letting Emma go when she realized that she wanted to get to know her. 

There was no way that she would be able to find out a way to contact her though, not without coming off as a stalker. 

And so she let the cab driver drop her off at the hotel, which was surprisingly fast and, as it were, already paid for. 

Regina smiled, and thanked him before she closed the car door and made her way to her room. 

Even the short distance between the cab and the entrance to the hotel had her soaked to the bone, her hair already starting to frizz. 

When she got to her room, she huffed in frustration when she found the information from the clinic wet and sticking together. 

Luckily, the box with the pregnancy test wasn’t as wet as she’d expected after seeing the pamphlets. She sighed as she worked on putting everything on the table. 

She’d have to find the information online when she got home. 

Just as she turned toward the bathroom, her phone rang. She grinned, because the only one who knew where she was at this moment, was her best friend. As she answered the phone, she realized she was excited to tell Kathryn about her day.

“Why didn’t you call me? I’ve been waiting for you to call for hours!” Kathryn’s excited voice sounded through the speaker and Regina rolled her eyes. 

“Hello to you too, Kat.” Regina didn’t even bother commenting on her flair for exaggerating. “There was a complication getting back to the hotel, it was raining and I had to share a cab with a stranger.”

“What?” Kathryn exclaimed, her voice high. Regina couldn’t help but smile at the excitement in her best friend. “Tell me  _ everything _ ! And please tell me you have a number!” 

Regina bit her bottom lip. “Unfortunately, by the time I thought about it, she was already gone,” she said before she launched into the story of how her day had gone. 

She didn’t give Kathryn a chance to interject until after she was done. 

Regina told her best friend about the appointment and the nerves that she had finally been able to let go; about the rain coming down hard enough to soak her to the bone in just the minute she had spent outside. She told Kat about meeting Emma, and the feelings she thought she’d never feel, and she breathed in deeply before she said she had to let go, because she’d been stupid enough to let Emma walk away. 

She expected what Kathryn was about to say next and the smile on her face brightened even more. 

“Gods, you seem to do everything backwards!”


	2. Chapter 2

Regina stared at the pregnancy test and sighed, a sound between relief and disappointment as she let it sink in. 

She wasn’t pregnant. 

Her heart hurt at the thought but somehow, she had expected something like this. Somehow, she had expected that she wouldn’t be pregnant. 

Three weeks had passed without much of anything happening—she didn’t _ feel _any different than before. 

Before she could give the negative pregnancy test a place, or at least put it away for later assessment, the door to her office opened. 

She startled, and quickly threw the test into the trash before she washed her hands and glanced at herself in the mirror. 

How she wished she had magic to take away any signs of distress. 

When she exited her bathroom, she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Kathryn leaning against her desk. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her face was pale, her eyes red-rimmed and her nose rubbed raw and red too. 

“Why are you crying?” Regina asked before she could think about a way to be gentle, and Kathryn huffed out an amused and choked up laugh before she sobbed. 

“Fred and I had a fight about having children.” 

Regina swallowed thickly as her own heart broke for both her own predicament, as for her friend’s. 

“What happened?” She asked, hoping Kat didn’t notice the tremor in her voice. “I thought you were still trying to figure out what you wanted to do.” 

Kat hummed and sniffed before she wiped at her eyes. “I thought so too, so I tried talking to him about it, he doesn’t _ want _to have kids and he thought maybe, I’d come to agree with time.”

Another fresh wave of tears filled her eyes and Regina cleared her throat as she closed the distance between them. 

It still caught her by surprise, every time someone wanted comfort from her. She’d grown up without any form of love shown, at least not from her mother, and she still struggled with it. 

So when Kat fell into her arms, Regina didn’t know what to do with her hands for the longest time. She settled on rubbing a hand up and down Kathryn’s back and before long, the blonde relaxed into her arms. 

And all of a sudden, _ another _ blonde came to mind. One with the most beautiful green eyes she’d seen; one she’d let walk away from her without a way to reach out to her. 

Had it already been three weeks?

“What am I going to do, Regina?” Kat asked through her sobs, pulling Regina back to the present. For a moment, Regina was speechless. What did you tell someone who was broken-hearted?

She thought about telling Kat to let it go. But then again, _ she _ hadn’t been able to let it go, and here she was, just as broken-hearted because she’d just gotten back a negative pregnancy test. 

“You let it sink in for a bit, feel all the feelings you need to feel, and then make sure you’re calm as you talk to Fred about this.” She frowned, her thoughts racing as she tried to fix this. “It’ll work itself out, just give it time.”

There was nothing she could do, either as a friend _ or _the mayor, to fix this for Kat.

Kat calmed down after that, her sobs turned into sniffles and Regina took a step back when she felt like it was okay to let go. Her own heart clenched at the sight of her friend, heartbroken and sad over a conversation she’d had. 

“I’m so sorry,” Kay said suddenly, and Regina blinked and refocused on her friend. “I blubbered all over you about my troubles when you were going to find out if you’re pregnant today.”

Regina waved the concern away and made her way around her desk. Kat turned and watched her as she sat down and when Regina leaned back, she could feel the tears build in her own eyes. 

She blinked and shook her head, a sad smile on her face even though she didn’t want to think about it just yet. 

Of course Kat was the only one to know about the insemination, plus the fact that she had planned on doing a test today. They’d had a long talk about that the night before. 

According to Kat, those early pregnancy tests weren’t as reliable as they claimed to be. She wouldn’t be swayed, not even by the fact that Regina would be using the test given to her by the clinic.

“I just got a negative on a pregnancy test, so it’s fine,” she said, hoping she sounded light enough. “I knew there was a possibility that it wouldn’t take on the first round.”

“Oh, Regina,” Kat breathed. “I’m so selfish...I’m so sorry. Are you going to try again?” 

Regina breathed in deeply, and then slowly breathed out as she thought about it. Did she want to try again? She wasn’t even sure if she had chosen the right path to walk. She wasn’t even sure because meeting Emma must have been a sign, right?

“I don’t really know. I think with everything going on right now, I need to wait. I-I’m sure I still have enough time, and—”

Kat narrowed her eyes and then smiled, even through her grief. “You’re still thinking about your cab buddy, aren’t you?”

Regina sighed. “She might have been on my mind a couple of times.”

Kat grinned and leaned forward on the desk. “I know for a fact that you’ve been thinking about her.” The grin faded then. “But don’t let one chance encounter take you away from your dream of becoming a mother. You might never see her again and then what?”

“I still want to have kids, Kat. If this doesn’t work out I can always adopt.” Even though that definitely hadn’t been something she’d wanted to think about just yet. “I’m not letting that encounter take me away from anything. It just showed me I need to rethink my decision.”

“As long as you don’t let anything stop you from having kids. I’ll follow my own advice too. If Fred doesn’t want kids, I’ll have to find a way to make it happen for myself.”

Regina hummed in agreement. “Damn right.”

—SQ—

Another week had passed in the blink of an eye. 

She spent a lot of her time wondering why her life hadn’t turned out the way she’d wanted, with a house full of kids and a job that didn’t demand as much from her as the one she had.

Maybe, she didn’t deserve happiness as much as she wanted it? But, she decided, after today she would start enjoying her life again. She would stop wallowing in self pity and start enjoying the little things that _ did _ go as she planned. 

Regina made her way down to the diner for lunch, alone as always, when she ran into someone. Or, someone ran into _ her. _

Normally, she was never the first to apologize. In fact, she’d wait until she’d get an apology.

But when she glanced up, she saw blonde curls and green eyes and she blinked in surprise as she cleared her throat. 

“I’m sorry—”

“No, I’m sorry,” Emma said with a smile and Regina couldn’t keep her lips from curling up in a smile. “I actually did that on purpose.”

Regina couldn’t help but smirk at that. “Oh, you did?” 

“I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d say hi. You just didn’t see me so I had to make sure you did, right?” 

There was amusement in Emma’s voice and the twinkle in her eyes told Regina what she already assumed, Emma was teasing her. 

“You were in the neighborhood? How serendipitous.” She winked before she wiped her suddenly clammy hands on her slacks. “I was just about to get lunch.” 

Emma hummed as she moved a step back, though she was still close enough for Regina to feel her body heat. 

“I’ll let you get to that,” Emma said, a gentle smile on her lips and her eyes twinkling with _ something_. 

Regina didn’t know what happened, she wasn’t the kind of person to reach out and especially not to strangers. She had trouble with comforting her friends.

But there was something about Emma. 

“Why don’t you join me? My treat, because you paid for my cab fare that fateful day,” she suggested. Her heart beat loudly against her ribs and she wondered if Emma could hear it. 

The smile that brightened Emma’s face was worth it all though. “I’d love to.” She narrowed her eyes. “I didn’t pay your cab fare though, I paid what must have been my share and the extra time it took for you to get to where you needed to be.” 

Regina laughed then, softly and genuinely for the first time in a week, and Emma’s eyes lit up at the sound of it. 

“Thank you, Emma. Let me repay the gesture, and buy you lunch.” She gestured toward the diner, her eyes never leaving Emma’s face as the blonde turned. “Granny’s is known for her burgers, even _ I _have to admit that they are the best I’ve ever tasted.”

Emma grinned. “I do love a good burger.” 

“Let’s go then,” Regina replied with a grin before she led the way toward the diner. They crossed the street, and Emma hummed in approval as they walked into the establishment.

“This is like one of those old school places.” 

Regina chuckled. “The woman running it is old school.” She glanced around before she gestured toward an empty booth. “We’re lucky, it’s still early enough to find a booth. In about half an hour, everyone in town will have their lunch break and they usually come here.”

After they had settled down, their coats over the back of the only chair near the booth, Regina glanced down at the menu. She knew it by heart; she came here more often than she’d like to admit. 

“So, Madam Mayor, I feel like fate brought us together again.” Emma smiled mischievously.

“Like I said, serendipity. Though, if I remember correctly, I did tell you I was mayor of Storybrooke,” Regina replied with a smile as she put down the menu. 

Emma glanced up from hers before she closed it and pushed it away. “You did, and not long after our time together, one of my old friends invited me to spend the weekend with them.”

A young waitress took their orders, and then scurried away without engaging in conversation. Regina knew she was new, the town was slowly growing and it showed.

The conversation flowed easily, even when Regina’s mind drifted back to the negative pregnancy test in her office bathroom. She cleared her throat as her heart sank at the thought, but Emma distracted her with an easy smile. 

Emma was the brightness to her dark thoughts and Regina didn’t even know how she did it, but she cheered her up without even knowing. 

Even as she tried her hardest not to think about her own ticking clock, she still wondered if she should tell Emma about her wish. 

Of course, she knew it was too soon and she had _ just _gotten back a negative test. It wasn’t as pressing for other people as it was for her. 

Somehow, Regina found a way to steer the conversation toward babies anyway, as she brought up Kat. 

“My best friend has been having a rough time with her husband, she wants kids but he doesn’t.”

Emma, however confused at the turn of the conversation, hummed just as a waitress brought their drink orders. 

“That sucks, does she know what she’s going to do?” She asked after a polite nod toward the waitress, and Regina shook her head. “It’s kind of a dealbreaker for a lot of women, huh?”

Regina inclined her head before she took a sip of her water. “For some women it is.” 

Somehow, she didn’t want to mention her dreams of being a mother yet, even though she had opened up the conversation to get a read on what Emma wanted. 

“I suppose things are different for me. I’ve had my share of scares but I’ve never really thought about kids. I’ll see it when it happens, right?”

“Right,” Regina hummed in agreement even though her heart sank. She was glad that she wasn’t pregnant. If she wanted to pursue something with Emma, she needed to give up on her dream for the time being. 

Emma changed the subject. “Will you come back to Boston anytime soon? You could come for coffee in about three weeks, the shop will have a grand opening by then.” 

“I’d love to,” Regina replied with an easy smile. 

Emma had a way of helping her let go of the negative feelings and focus on the positive. She wanted to be around that kind of influence as much as she could. 

There was a great reason not to dwell on babies and the fact that she might never have them, and she was sitting right in front of her. 

The young waitress came and took their orders, her face red as she did her best to keep up with them. 

Regina cleared her throat when the silence settled. “Why did you decide to open a coffee shop?” 

“I love the idea of being able to go somewhere, and read with a cup of coffee. It’s actually...we have the best location because there’s a bookstore close by,” Emma smiled dreamily and her eyes glazed with a faraway expression. “When I was growing up, I absolutely loved reading, but most of the foster homes thought I was just being lazy.” 

“Did you have a lot of different homes?” Regina asked softly, her hand reaching out for Emma’s without her realizing, at least not until their fingers laced together. 

“Yea, according to most of them I was troubled, hard to handle,” Emma admitted, and Regina bit the inside of her cheek to keep from speaking her mind. “Anyway, it’s not like Starbucks or anything like that, but it has its charms and I have high hopes.” Emma smiled. 

“I’ll be sure to come visit with a book the next time I’m in Boston.” Regina returned the smile and tightened her hold on Emma’s hand for a second before she pulled back. “One of my big dreams was to have a bookstore filled with all of my favorite books.” 

Emma chuckled, and ran a hand through her hair. Her eyes were twinkling again and Regina wondered what she was thinking. 

“We complete each other—wait, is this a movie?” She asked with a wink before she leaned back against the booth. “I’m actually glad I ran into you.” 

Regina smiled even when her heart skipped a nervous beat. “You are?” 

“Yea,” Emma shrugged. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you after our cab sharing, and I kinda beat myself up over not asking for your number.” 

Regina hummed as her face flushed. “So you went out of your way to meet me again?” Her face heated even more when Emma grinned. 

“Well, I did get invited for the weekend, but when I found out where, I couldn’t pass the opportunity to run into you again, right?” 

Before Regina could respond, the young waitress was back with their burgers. Emma’s eyes widened at the sight of a plate full of food, and Regina smirked. 

She usually asked Granny to only give her half of the normal plate she made up, and every other waitress knew this except for the new one. 

It didn’t matter, at least not for today. 

Today she was enjoying great company as they ate, talking about everything under the sun; never feeling uncomfortable or out of sorts when she confessed to something she shouldn’t be confessing to Emma, who was still practically a stranger. 

When Emma’s plate was empty, and Regina’s plate still half full, Regina sighed. “I’m stuffed.” 

She leaned back and rubbed a hand over her stomach before she smiled at Emma. 

“You haven’t even eaten half of what’s on the plate,” Emma said with a chuckle, and then blew out a breath. “But I have to agree, this was one of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted.” 

“One of the? You’ll have to show me where I can find the _ best _burger, then.” 

“I’ll show you, but that’ll mean you’ll have to come visit me in my home because _ I _make the best burgers,” Emma said with a smug smile and Regina laughed. 

It felt good to let go, and her laugh lightened the weight on her chest. Emma’s twinkling eyes made it all the better. 

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer!” 

Burgers were definitely her favorite food, even though she would never admit to it, especially not because she’d grown up being told to keep her figure, lest she would be shunned. 

Her mother was a drama queen. 

“Good.” 

Regina glanced up at the clock and sighed. “I hate to dine and dash, but I have a meeting to prepare for.” 

“Wait.” Emma blinked at her own vehemence before she smiled sheepishly. Regina hadn’t moved, because she didn’t want to leave the blonde, at least not just yet. “Maybe we could...you know, exchange numbers?”

Regina smiled before she took out her phone and handed it to Emma after unlocking it. “Add your number.” 

Emma typed in her name and number and then called her own phone before she handed Regina back her phone with a smile. 

“I look forward to talking to you some more.” 

Regina stood to her feet and pulled on her coat, and then, before she lost her nerve, she turned to Emma. Her face flushed even before she could ask the question burning on her tongue. 

“I’d like to get to know you better, would you like to go on a date with me sometime?” 

Emma’s smile brightened even more and she stood to her feet. “I’d love to.” 

Regina returned the smile and then inclined her head, her face heating even more when she didn’t know how to walk away. 

“Great,” she said and then cleared her throat, not sure what else to say. “I’ll text you? About a time and a place?” 

“I know the perfect place so all you’d have to do is tell me the time and I’ll come pick you up,” Emma replied easily. She glanced at the clock at the same time Regina did and smiled. “Go, you don’t want to be late for your meeting, Madam Mayor.” 

Regina hummed. “No I don’t. We’ll be in touch,” she replied before she blinked, and waved awkwardly. 

She wanted to be smooth, and ended up making a fool of herself. 

While the smile never left her lips, she didn’t turn to look back at Emma, afraid she’d see the way she was laughing at her. 

—SQ—

The Friday night brought with it another crying bout from Kat, and Regina wondered when she’d become that person. 

When had she become the person that people would want to go to when they felt down? She didn’t know, but not even Kathryn could bring her spirits down. 

“Would you like a glass of wine? We can watch some rom-com or talk about what’s going on with you,” she suggested and Kat hummed before she sobbed. 

“I’m such a mess,” she said and Regina bit her lip to stop her agreement from bursting forth. “I thought he’d change his mind.” 

Regina poured Kat a royal glass of wine and handed it to her before she poured herself some. “Give it time, you are still young enough and there’s no rush.”

Kat narrowed her eyes. “You’re one to talk.” 

“I know, but you’re dealing with a partner and I’m not, at least not really.” She thought of Emma and smiled before she schooled her features again. 

But Kathryn had seen the smile and widened her eyes. “What does that smile mean?” 

“It’s not important right now. You came here for support and I’m giving you support,” Regina replied quickly. 

Her friend was like a dog with a bone. “Actually, I came here to be distracted.” She smiled even through her tears. “So tell me, what did I miss?”

Telling Kathryn would open her up to so many questions, and she wasn’t sure if she could answer then just yet. She really wanted to see where this thing with Emma would lead. 

Talking about it might jinx it. 

“I had lunch with the woman I shared a cab with a month ago.” She closed her eyes and imagined Emma’s smile and she couldn’t help the smile from spreading across her face. “She was invited to spend time with a friend and I ran...well, she ran into me as I was on my way to lunch.”

Kat gasped. “Tell me _ everything_!”

And so she did.


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m so sorry,” Emma apologized for the third time in a ten minute phone call, and Regina rolled her eyes as she leaned back in her office chair. 

“I understand, Emma, you don’t have to keep apologizing,” Regina replied, trying to put her mind at ease. “I know life gets in the way of plans when you least expect it.”

To be fair, she’d been so busy that week, she was exhausted. In fact, she’d fallen asleep on the couch more than once. 

Even though she had been looking forward to their date ever since they agreed on the day, she was excited to be able to catch up on her sleep.

She knew she needed it, she’d just hoped she wouldn’t fall asleep on Emma during their date. Now, she didn’t have to worry about that anymore.

The pang of guilt surprised her enough to have her clench her jaw. She wouldn’t apologize for her thoughts. 

“I was really looking forward to it. I knew the  _ perfect  _ place for our first date, and then  _ this  _ happens.” Emma huffed in frustration. 

_ This _ was the fact that Emma wanted to open her coffee shop in two weeks, but the floors hadn’t been delivered yet. From what Regina could gather, something about the date of delivery, and a miscommunication at the company. 

Emma had been working non stop to get her floors, even if that meant ordering new floors and canceling the other ones. The company that had been supposed to deliver, denied that they had gotten the money, and that would mean a huge loss for Emma.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other again after their lunch, they had spent a lot of time talking on the phone, texting  _ and  _ calling, and had already gotten to know a great deal about each other. 

The distance between them didn’t help either. 

“We can try again next week?” Regina suggested. “We can still go to your  _ perfect _ place for our first date next Friday.” 

Emma sighed and for a moment Regina worried that she would say no. “Of course. I’ll make sure to tell everyone I am not to be bothered for anything next Friday.” 

Regina breathed a sigh of relief before she yawned and then she smiled. “I look forward to it, Emma.” 

“Yea,” Emma breathed, her voice soft and gentle. “I am looking forward to it too, Regina.”

—SQ—

Regina wet her lips as she waited for the dial tone to change into the voice she’d so come to love already. 

When Emma answered her phone, Regina's heart sank at the idea of what she had to do.

“Hey, what’s up?” Emma asked straight away, out of breath as if she’d been running. “Sorry, give me a moment to catch my breath.” 

“I have to cancel...our date, I have to reschedule,” Regina said quickly, her stomach clenching as she pursed her lips. 

She rubbed her hand over her stomach to try and calm it down as she listened to Emma sigh. “That’s...well, it happens.” Regina heard the disappointment in Emma’s voice and she bit the inside of her cheek as guilt washed over her. “What happened?"

It wasn’t as if she could change the circumstances. She was powerless and she hated the feeling. “One of the idiots in town thought it would be a great idea to destroy some property—there have been complaints and I have to stay here and oversee them putting it back together.”

Emma huffed in annoyance, and while Regina tried her hardest not to let it get to her, her stomach clenched and she had to swallow down the bile that rose in her throat. “At night? On a Friday?” 

“That’s one of the perks of being mayor, your job is never done.” Regina cleared her throat, and then bit her bottom lip. She didn’t know how to explain how her job had been her life for so long, that she  _ still  _ had to find a way to balance her private life. “I know I said I liked my job, but in moments like these I hate it. I was really looking forward to this...to our date.” 

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to think of a way to make this right. 

Emma didn’t deserve to be stood up even though she had good reason to cancel on their date.

“I know,” Emma sighed again and a silence fell over them. For the first time since they started talking, it  _ was  _ uncomfortable. “Do you think we might have met at the wrong time?”

“No,” Regina replied without missing a beat. “I think we just need to schedule a date and make sure nothing happens. I’ll have Kat supervise if something happens.” The door to her office opened, and her assistant gestured for her to join the meeting again. “I have to go. We’ll talk later?”

“Yea, we’ll talk later.” Emma sounded okay. She didn’t sound angry or sad or disappointed any more than Regina felt and she breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll get there eventually.”

“Indeed we will.” 

—SQ—

Regina stared at the words on her screen with a smile— _ be ready, today is the day! Picking you up in an hour, can’t wait to see you! _ —before she looked up and out the window. 

_ Today  _ was the day that they finally had their first date, even though after four weeks of calls and texts, it felt like they had already gone on their fair share of dates. 

They connected in a way that Regina hadn’t felt before, but Kat was right when she said that they hadn’t actually spent more than an hour in each other’s company. 

Regina didn’t want to make assumptions based on the fact that they seemed compatible over the phone, she wanted to get to know the Emma she could only get to know face-to-face. 

She smoothed down her dress and then pushed a hand against her unsettled stomach. She was nervous for the first date, and her stomach had been unsettled since the early morning. What if she didn’t like the way Emma ate? What if she didn’t like the way Emma  _ walked? _

She rolled her eyes with a snort of amusement at her own thoughts, bit her bottom lip and looked up again. The sound of a car pulled her out of her thoughts and she stood to her feet to be able to see better. 

The car door closed behind Emma and Regina gasped at the sight of the blonde. 

The tight skinny jeans she wore seemed to be painted on, and the blue blouse she wore hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair went down her back in the most perfect princess curls. 

Before Emma could see her staring, Regina quickly made her way to the front to open the door. 

Emma stopped short when she saw Regina. 

“Wow,” she murmured as she let her gaze roam over Regina. She was wearing her favorite red dress. Tight, but with enough stretch to be comfortable sitting down. “That’s...that’s a great look.”

Regina it her lip and hoped Emma didn’t see the blush covering her cheeks before she cleared her throat. “I hope I’m not overdressed, you look amazing.” 

“You’re not overdressed, I love it,” Emma said as she stepped closer and held out a hand. Regina smiled and then took it, her blush warming her face and Emma warming her heart. “I changed around some plans I had for us, it's last minute but it works just as well.”

Regina hummed as she followed Emma to her car. “What are we doing?” She asked, even though the first couple of hundred times she’d asked hadn’t produced an answer either. 

“It’s a surprise.” Emma smiled as she opened the door for Regina. “It wouldn’t be as much fun if you knew where we were going.”

The yellow Volkswagen Beetle was a modern spin on the original, it was sleeker, and even the interior was upgraded. As Regina settled down into the leather seats, she glanced around. 

“I didn’t even know they made them this modern and luxurious.” Regina smirked as she turned toward Emma. “When you talked about your Bug, I was imagining a death trap on wheels.”

Emma laughed. “I started out that way. I stole a yellow bug when I left my last home at seventeen. I was lucky, some rich woman found me about two years ago and handed me a check.”

“What?” Regina asked, shocked at the turn of events. She had never even thought about how an orphan could have had enough money to open a coffee shop at her age. 

And now that Emma had revealed a part of her past that Regina hadn’t yet heard about, she had so many new questions to ask her.

Emma hummed as she pulled away from the curb and started their journey into the city. “I had been having some trouble finding a job. I spent some time being a bail bonds person and she was the wife of one of my marks. She wanted to thank me, so she invested in my business.”

Regina snorted and then pursed her lips. “Thank you for what?” 

Emma glanced at her with a smile on her face and a glitter in her eyes. “For showing her was an asshole he was. He had a second family in another city and she didn’t know, of course.”

“I’m sure you have lots of stories like this.” 

She was looking forward to hearing about Emma’s life, at least the parts she didn’t already know.

Emma hummed again. “And I’m glad to tell you about all of them.” 

—SQ—

“You set up your shop for a date?” 

The surprise was hard to suppress as she glanced around the coffee shop that had yet to be opened. There were candles set up in a strategic way, making a pathway toward the back door. 

“Well, it has a surprising perk, it’s one of the few properties here with a back. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use it, but after having set it up for our date, I’m leaning toward using it.” Emma led her toward the back and Regina cleared her throat, nervous to see what Emma had prepared for her. 

“You should—more space is more revenue.”

Emma hummed in agreement. “Yea, we’re still not ready to get to that part, but it’s in the works. For tonight, however, it’s ours.”

She pushed open the door and stepped aside. 

There were Christmas lights hung up around a single table. It was romantic, and cheesy and even though Regina never thought she would be into the cheesy, romantic gestures, she loved it. 

“This is amazing,” she murmured as she glanced around. The table was covered in a white tablecloth and there were candles in the middle of it, already lit. There was, however, one thing that caught her attention, and she turned to Emma. “But what are we going to eat?” 

Emma grinned. “I got us a chef, of course.” She led Regina to the table and waited until she was seated. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

Regina bit her bottom lip as she tried to figure out Emma’s plan. “I’m not sure I should.” She pressed a hand to her stomach, the nerves  _ still  _ unsettling it. “But you can definitely have a glass of wine if you feel like it.” 

“You know I’ll drive you home tonight,” Emma told her before she started pouring them a glass of wine. “The food is scheduled to arrive around seven, so we have about thirty minutes to get settled and enjoy each other’s company. I made the starters myself.” 

Before she sat down, she made her way over to a table that Regina hadn’t even noticed until now, and grabbed a covered plate. She took off the cover to reveal slices of bread. 

Regina was about to comment on it when Emma returned to the table and procured three different kinds of spread. “It’s nothing fancy, but I like to dabble in cooking and baking every once in a while.”

“I love cooking and baking,” Regina admitted. “It’s just too bad I hardly have time to experiment with it.” 

Emma handed Regina the spreads one by one, and Regina swallowed thickly when her stomach heaved. One of the spreads smelled like it had gone bad. 

“I think one of them is...I think it’s gone bad,” Regina said thickly, and Emma frowned before she sniffed all three of them. Regina pointed to the one in the middle. “I think that one.”

“It’s fish, I think it’s supposed to smell like that?” Emma pushed it aside, a frown still on her face. “You don’t have to eat it.” 

Regina hummed through clenched teeth, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would throw up all over the table. 

She swallowed again, and Emma stood to put the spread back on the other table. Regina leaned back and took a couple of deep breaths through her nose. 

When her nausea settled and her stomach didn’t feel like it would revolt anymore, she smiled at Emma and opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a sound. 

“Pst.” 

Emma grinned, and held up her finger. “Hold that thought, dinner is ready,” she said as she stood to her feet. She stumbled and then cleared her throat with a sheepish glance at Regina, before she made her way into the coffee shop. 

Regina glanced around, once again taking in the sight of the garden around them. It was unkempt, and she understood why it was put on the back burner for now. There were weeds everywhere, but somehow tonight they added to the romantic vibe Emma was going for. 

Emma returned, carrying two plates filled with food and gently placed them on the table. She sat down, and poured them a second glass of wine without asking before she sat back. 

“A friend of mine is a chef and she’s taken some time to fix us an actual Michelin star worthy meal.” Emma gestured to the plates and then grinned. “I’m really glad I didn’t go for the seafood, you looked about ready to throw up.”

Regina huffed before she looked down at her plate for the first time. It was filled to the brim and she wasn’t sure she could even eat as much, but she would try. 

“You took a Michelin chef out of the kitchen to cook for you?” She asked as she noted the normalcy of the food. Potatoes, though probably not as normal as she’d make them, chicken and an assortment of vegetables. “I’m very impressed.” 

“She had a day off, and she loves being in the middle of my love life,” Emma said with a shrug. “She wanted her payment to be a play by play of everything that happened between us. I told her I’d think about it.” 

Regina hummed with a smile. “Well, that’s not too bad. Make it a fun story to tell, ending the night with us fighting and deciding we’ll never see each other.” Emma snorted and then burst out in laughter, and Regina joined her. It felt good to let go of the tension in her body, and she could feel her stomach ease. 

“Eat, before it gets cold and I have to complain to the server,” Emma said after their laughter had subsided. She winked at Regina, and Regina could feel the flush creep on her cheeks. 

They dug into the food with gusto, and Regina was impressed by all the different aspects of the meal and how well they went together. She found that she didn’t want to stop eating because it all tasted so amazing. 

She regretted it the moment her stomach heaved, and she pursed her lips, the last bite of food heavy on her tongue. She dropped her fork onto her plate and leaned back, slowly chewing, and then swallowing the bite in her mouth. 

She leaned back, one hand on her stomach and the other against her throat, as she tried to force herself and her stomach to keep the food inside. 

“Are you okay?” Emma asked, her mouth still full of the bite she’d just taken. 

Regina clenched her jaw, and her stomach heaved again. Even though Emma had been subtle, it was exactly what made Regina feel even worse and she quickly got up, her throat tight.

She made it to the edge of the garden, and lost the contents of her stomach in the highest weeds she could find. Emma followed her and placed a gentle hand on her back, soothing her as she spat out the last of it. 

“Did...did you not like it?” Emma asked softly, and Regina could  _ hear  _ the vulnerability in it. 

“I did,” Regina choked out as she straightened, her hand pressed to her stomach. “I did, I just...I think I ate too much.” 

Her mind, though, went to the negative pregnancy test a month ago and she wondered. 

Just the thought of the possibility made her stomach lurch again, and she shook it off, closing her eyes and clearing her throat. 

“If you want, I have some stuff here to brush your teeth, I’ll clear the table,” Emma murmured and Regina opened her eyes and frowned. 

“Why do you have that here?” She asked after clearing her throat again. Her stomach still felt unsettled and she was afraid to speak, afraid she’d lose what was left inside of it. 

Even though she was sure there was nothing left. 

“I’ve stayed here a couple of times when I worked late. I just make sure to have a toothbrush and some paste here,” Emma said with a shrug. “It’s in my office, I’ll show you.”

“Thank you.”

—SQ—

Regina returned to the garden to find that the table had been cleared, and most of the Christmas lights that had been strung around the garden had been taken down too. 

She  _ knew  _ eating too much had been the wrong thing to do. But even as she scolded herself for it, she  _ knew  _ that hadn’t been the reason she’d been sick. 

But Emma didn’t look annoyed or angry at the fact that she’d been sick. In fact, she looked concerned and Regina wondered what was going on in Emma’s head. 

“Do you think you can handle the drive back to Storybrooke?” Emma cleared her throat and shuffled her feet. “I know it’s only our first date, but if you need it you can stay with me.” 

Regina flushed and then shook her head. “I feel much better.” And she did, especially after having brushed her teeth. She smiled and then stepped closer to Emma. “I’m really sorry for ruining our date.” 

Emma smiled gently before she held out her hand. When Regina took it, Emma pulled her a little closer. “You didn’t ruin our date, you’re just not feeling okay and that’s...that’s okay. I’ll bring you home.” And then she smirked. “And if you feel really guilty, you can always make it up to me by going on a second date with me.”

The air around them changed, and for a split second Regina wanted nothing more than to kiss Emma. This time, though, Emma wasn’t a stranger. She blinked as her gaze was pulled toward Emma’s lips, and she wondered if they were as soft as they looked. 

And then her stomach lurched again. She swallowed, and then hummed as she forced a smile. “I really do feel like I ate too much,” she murmured before her smile became a little more genuine. “I’d love to go on a second date with you.” 

Emma smiled brightly. “Good. Now, let’s get you home so you can get some rest, I didn’t think you’d eat so much you’d get sick.”

Regina took a deep breath and smiled. With each passing moment, and every heave of her stomach, she was more than sure that her nausea wasn’t because she’d eaten too much. 

—SQ—

The drive home was filled with music, but they had fallen into a comfortable silence conversation wise. Regina didn’t mind, especially because her stomach was still upset. 

Emma made sure not to make any sudden movements with the car, and Regina felt like the luckiest woman on the planet when she realized that. 

Everything Emma had done tonight had been perfect, and thoughtful and even loving. For a moment, Regina just wanted to enjoy the feeling before she had to go home to face the facts. 

When Emma turned off the engine, Regina blinked as she glanced around. She’d been so deep in thought she hadn’t even noticed they’d entered Storybrooke. 

“We’re here...obviously.” Emma grinned sheepishly before she got out of the car. Regina unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. 

She was feeling a lot better now that she’d had a while to calm herself—even though she was nervous for what came next. Her stomach had settled. 

They walked to the front door in silence. While she was well aware of the tension between them, Regina couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that the night had come to an abrupt end. 

“I’m really sorry for ruining this,” she said, her throat tight. She knew everything would change after tonight, and it made her upset to know that she might lose Emma before she even had the chance to find out if they were compatible. “I’ve never had a reaction like that.”

Emma shook her head as she took Regina’s hand and pulled her around to face her. “It’s fine, Regina.” They stood close enough together for Regina to feel Emma’s body heat. 

A shiver ran down her spine. “I’ll make it up to you on our second date.” Even though she wasn’t even sure Emma would  _ want  _ a second date if she knew Regina might be pregnant. 

Emma smiled brightly and then inclined her head. Her eyes lingered on Regina’s lips. “I look forward to it.”

Regina hummed, and the air around them crackled with a different kind of tension. She shivered again and swallowed thickly against her nerves as Emma closed the distance between them. 

“Me too,” she whispered as her own gaze was drawn to Emma’s lips. 

The kiss was sudden, but expected. Emma moved in at the same time as Regina did and their lips crashed together with more force than either had anticipated. 

And then it softened. 

Regina wrapped her arms around Emma’s waist, and shivered when Emma’s heat wrapped around her. Their lips moved gently, enjoying the tenderness of the moment. 

And just as sudden as it started, it ended. 

Regina rested her forehead against Emma’s as they took a moment to catch their breath. 

The moment broke, as did the tension, and Emma stepped back with a sad sigh. “I’ll text you—”

“When you get home, please,” Regina interrupted and Emma hummed in agreement before she took another step back. 

Regina’s arms slipped from her waist and she took another step back. “When I get home. I had a really good time with you tonight, Regina. I’m glad you agreed to a second date.” 

“Me too, Emma.”

And with a last longing look, Emma turned and made her way to her car. Regina watched her until she’d gotten into the car, and then until she had started it and driven away. 

She took a deep breath before she turned around and stepped into the cold mayoral mansion. Suddenly, it felt too big, and too cold. 

She didn’t bother with lights as she took off her coat, kicked off her heels and made her way up the stairs. 

Her mind was focused on the bathroom, where she kept the one spare pregnancy test that she’d bought. She  _ needed _ to know if she was pregnant after all. 

She entered her room, and made her way through to the bathroom as she unzipped her dress and let it fall down her body. 

In just her bra and panties, she turned on the lights and searched for the test she’d hidden in her bathroom. 

Kat was always too nosy, and would want to know why she still had a test in her bathroom even though she shouldn’t even be in that bathroom for whatever reason. 

But Regina had felt like that first test had been wrong for weeks now. She’d been nauseas tonight, but it hadn’t been the first time. She’d been tired, and sensitive in more ways than one. 

She went through the motions—she took the test out of the box, did as instructed and carefully put the stick, with the cap securely in place, on the sink. 

Three minutes. She made her way to the bedroom and turned on the lights, and took a moment to breathe as she stood in the middle of her room. 

What would happen if that test proved her right, and she found out she was pregnant? 

Would she tell Emma? Would Emma want to stop dating her? Would she ever find someone like her again?

She didn’t even know what she  _ wanted  _ to happen, she realized with a sigh. She took off her bra and then quickly pulled on her pajamas. 

Of course she wanted to see where things could go with Emma, but she’d have to accept it if Emma didn’t feel like taking on a baby too. 

She made her way back to the bathroom and bit her bottom lip as she glanced at the test. 

Three minutes hadn’t even passed, but with just that one glance she knew. 

She was pregnant. 


	4. Chapter 4

She thought she’d be happier, she thought she’d be ready to face this new chapter in her life. 

But the first week after finding out she was pregnant, all she could do was walk around in a daze. She didn’t even know how to feel, even though she was strangely aware of her body from the moment that she’d confirmed it with the test. 

She didn’t tell anyone, but  _ did  _ go to her doctor to have the pregnancy confirmed by a professional. The wait between having her blood drawn and the results was excruciating. 

She fidgeted with her hands, and bounced her leg. She wished she’d be able to share it with a partner, and then she realized this had been  _ her  _ choice. 

“Mayor Mills.” A soft spoken nurse called out her name and Regina quickly stood to her feet and followed the nurse into the doctor's office. 

Something about the nurse seemed familiar to Regina, but she shook it off when the woman opened the door and stepped aside to let Regina inside. 

Regina wet her lips as she moved around the nurse and glanced back at her. 

She still couldn’t place the woman when she smiled politely and gestured toward the chair. “Make yourself comfortable, Miss Mills. The doctor will be with you shortly.”

Regina hummed. “Thank you.” 

She sat down in the chair and laced her fingers together over her stomach. She was nervous, and her heart skipped a beat every so often as she waited for the door to be opened. 

It took longer than she had expected, but when her doctor walked in, she breathed a sigh of relief. 

The elderly lady that walked in  _ was  _ familiar. 

Penny Rogers has been the town doctor for as long as anyone could remember, even though Regina hardly ever had to visit her office. 

She was surprised to see the smile on Penny’s face even though of course, a pregnancy normally was a reason to rejoice. 

“Well, my dear, you are definitely pregnant.” 

Regina breathed in deeply before she hummed again. “That much I suspected.” 

She knew how far along she was, she knew who the father was, but she didn’t know if she was ready to become a mom, not with everything that was happening in her life at the moment. 

Since when had she become such an impulsive woman? 

“I recommend finding an obstetrician, of course. I can’t help you in that department. What I can do is prescribe prenatal vitamins.” 

Penny wrote down her prescription and handed it to Regina, who took it and stared at it for a moment before she looked up at her doctor. 

“So all I do is take this every day?” She asked. 

She didn’t even know  _ why  _ she asked. All the information about prenatal vitamins had been clear in the pamphlets she’d gotten from the clinic. 

She was nervous.

“You take one every day, starting now,” Penny replied with a gentle smile. Regina almost told her how very planned this pregnancy was until she remembered the fact that Storybrooke was too old fashioned. “Obstetricians will recommend it too, but you won’t have your first appointment anytime soon.”

Regina inclined her head, her mind a haze as she tried her hardest to give it a place. She was pregnant, even after weeks of thinking she wasn’t, even after weeks of being conflicted on how to feel about it. 

“Of course.” She blinked as the doctor stood and held out her hand. When she had gotten to her feet, she shook the hand offered. “I...thank you.” 

“Congratulations, Mayor Mills, I’m sure you’ll do great.”

Regina almost snorted, but kept her politician smile in place. She inclined her head again and then let go of the doctor’s hand before she made her way out of the office. 

The waiting area was filled with people, and Regina kept her eyes downcast. She felt judged and they didn’t even know what she was here for. 

How had she not taken into account the fact that people might not understand what was happening, they were a very old fashioned town. Would they accept that she wanted to have a child even if that meant doing it alone?

She straightened up and held her head high, she didn’t need or want anyone else’s opinion of her. 

Even as mayor, no one had a right to judge her. 

—SQ—

She found an obstetrician easily and she was on the phone with an assistant the next day. 

“Based on what you’re telling me, Miss Mills, you don’t need to come in for at least two weeks.” 

“What do you mean, I’m already nine weeks along,” Regina replied with confusion, and then frowned when she remembered Penny’s words. “What’s the reason for this?” 

“We will do a sonogram around eleven weeks to determine the due date. We usually combine that with a couple of tests, so that we can determine if everything is alright with the pregnancy  _ and  _ the baby.” 

“Alright, so, I should schedule the appointment for 2 weeks from now?” It wasn’t as much a question as it was a statement, and the assistant on the phone hummed in agreement. 

“Exactly.”

They agreed on a Friday afternoon and as Regina put it in her schedule, she sighed. 

She hadn’t told anyone yet, not even Kat even though she really wanted to, but she also wanted to wait until everything was confirmed. She wanted to see it before she’d believe it. 

The weeks until her twelfth week of pregnancy moved slowly, her job was more demanding than ever, and Emma spent a fair amount of time in town whenever she could. 

Regina had even offered her one of the guest bedrooms but Emma had opted to stay in the bed and breakfast. 

She couldn’t tell Emma until she was sure, until she’d seen it. She didn’t know  _ how  _ to tell Emma, even though Emma was very understanding of her suddenly very present symptoms. 

She’d fallen asleep more often than not, right before dinner. She usually woke up nauseous and unable to eat more than a couple of bites of whatever food they’d end up making or ordering. 

Her morning sickness wasn’t contained to the morning. She spent days feeling fine, so long as nothing triggered her nausea she could keep her food inside. She also spent days having trouble eating because she was so nauseas. 

Combined with the sensitivity of not only her body, but also her emotional sensitivity, Emma dealt with everything perfectly. 

—SQ—

“So, I was thinking we could spend a weekend together,” Emma’s voice sounded insecure over the phone, and Regina pursed her lips to stop herself from snapping. She disliked insecurity between them as much as she disliked the nausea she’d been having to deal with. 

“Do you think we’re ready for that next step?” She asked instead. She didn’t want to jump too quickly into something, especially not now that she was pregnant. 

They had been ‘dating’ for four weeks, not counting the four weeks they had kept canceling on each other. In the meantime, Regina was already twelve weeks along and she had no time left to tell people, especially Emma. 

Maybe a weekend together was just what they needed, so that she could tell Emma about the pregnancy. She would start showing soon and she needed to tell Emma sooner rather than later. 

She rubbed a hand over her still flat belly before she cleared her throat. 

Emma gasped, startled at the sound after the silence. “Um...yes, actually. I think we are more than ready.” 

The time spent together was mostly spent making out, that is, until Emma touched Regina in a way that hurt more than it should and the mood was gone. 

“You know what, you’re right,” Regina replied, and then narrowed her eyes as she tried to think of a plan. “I’m actually going to be in the city today anyway, maybe we can have dinner and I could...I could stay over at your place for once?” 

Emma was silent for a moment as she thought, and then she hummed. “That actually sounds perfect. I was thinking of inviting you somewhere but maybe we need something a little less...something with a little less pressure.” 

“Indeed.” Regina wet her lips and then stood to her feet. “I’d better pack a bag, I’ll text you with the plans?” 

“Let me handle dinner. You do what you have to do and I’ll make sure you know where to go,” Emma replied, a smile evident in her voice. 

It was very last minute, but Regina knew it was the right thing to do. “Alright, darling. I’ll talk to you later.” Before Emma could reply, the door to Regina’s office opened and Kathryn walked in.

“Regina, we need to talk.” Kat looked annoyed and Regina narrowed her eyes. “I found out what you’ve been hiding from me.” 

Regina widened her eyes. “Emma, I’ll call you back.” She pressed the end call button before she could hear Emma’s goodbye, and stepped toward Kat. “ _ What _ are you talking about?” 

“When were you going to tell me that you’re pregnant?” Kat asked angrily. Before Regina could respond, she continued. “When you’d given birth? Or when you started showing?” 

“Kat—”

“I thought we were best friends, Regina.” 

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose and moaned, before she stepped toward Kat and grabbed her shoulders. 

“Stop.” She waited until her friend was looking at her before she continued. “I only found out about a month ago. I really thought I wasn’t pregnant after that first test. And I didn’t want to  _ tell _ you yet because I haven’t had an ultrasound yet.”

“You’ve known for  _ four  _ weeks, Regina?” Kat’s voice was high enough for Regina to flinch and she shrugged, somehow with a guilty feeling.

“Like I said, I wanted to wait until I’d seen something on the ultrasound,” she said sheepishly. She realized that she should have gone about it differently. “I’m sorry.” 

Kat hummed. “You should be. I could’ve been here for you...with you. How do you feel? Are you okay, do you feel nauseous? Are you happy?” 

Regina took Kat’s hand and pulled her along toward the couch. She didn’t speak until they had settled into it as if they were at home. 

“Honestly? I’m conflicted. I wanted this so badly before I met Emma. And now...now I want to see where things go with her just as badly as I want this baby.” She placed a hand to her still flat abdomen. It wouldn’t take long for her to start showing, or at least that’s what she kept telling herself. “I’m happy, very much so, but also very sad about what it could mean for my relationship with Emma.”

“You haven’t even told  _ Emma _ ? Regina!”

“I know,” Regina replied, her throat tightening around the words, and then rubbed a hand over her forehead. “I’m spending the weekend with her, I’m going to tell her tonight. Or maybe tomorrow.” 

“Gods, woman. How have you been dealing with all of this, all on your own?” Kat scooted closer and placed a hand on Regina’s knee. “Don’t you close off now that you’re finally getting your dream, honey.” 

“I won’t.” Regina frowned when she realized something. “How did you even find out, Kat?”

Kat cleared her throat. “Someone saw you at the doctor’s office and told me.” 

Regina narrowed her eyes. “That was four weeks ago. Why are you lying?” She asked when Kat refused to look at her. 

“Oh alright. I actually didn’t  _ know _ for sure until you just confirmed it, but I just suddenly realized what was going on with you.” Kathryn finally looked up. “I just don’t understand why you’d want to go through this alone when you planned this expecting help.”

“I don’t want to do it alone. I just...I didn’t know how to tell you.” Regina swallowed against the sudden tears before she blinked and gave Kat a watery smile. “I have an appointment today. I was just on my way out because I still have to pack a bag.” 

“Of course.” Kat stood to her feet and pulled Regina into a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Regina. I’m sorry I barged in here like that, I just...I thought you—”

When Kat didn’t finish her sentence, Regina squeezed her arms and then pulled back to look at her friend. “I would never want to keep anything from you, it was hard enough as it was, not telling you about it.”

Kat stared at her for a moment longer and then inclined her head. “Okay, go. Have fun this weekend, and tell me everything about  _ everything _ when you get back.”

Regina hummed with a smile and pressed a kiss to Kat’s cheek. “You know I will.” 

—SQ—

Regina let the experience wash over her. The OB, Ellen, smiled brightly even as she drew some blood. 

“Anything pregnancy related will be tested. Also, I want to check your iron because you look a little pale.” There was a moment of silence as she wrote down her notes. “I’ll call you with the results next week.”

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping,” Regina sighed. “That might also be the reason I’m pale.” 

Ellen hummed. “We like to rule out every possibility.”

She was weighed. “Did you weigh yourself before the pregnancy?” Ellen asked gently and Regina nodded her head. 

“I did, I was actually inseminated so the whole process is documented. I brought all the information you’d need with me,” she said as her nerves slowly settled, and Ellen smiled. 

“That actually makes this a lot easier.” She wrote down Regina’s weight, and then directed her to the exam table. “Pull up your shirt and push down your jeans.” 

Regina did as she was told, and laid down on the exam table. Her hands shook, and she pressed them flat beside her on the table. “Will...can I hear the heartbeat today?” 

Ellen glanced up from her notes and grinned before she made her way to the machine. “I don’t see why not, because you’re twelve weeks along and it should be fairly easy to find it. Mind you,” she warned, “I might not be able to find it right away so don’t worry, alright?” 

Regina hummed and then swallowed. She took a deep, calming breath and watched as Ellen put some gel on the transducer before she turned toward Regina. “In movies, they always say the gel is cold.” She chuckled, and Regina tensed her muscles in anticipation. “I’ll ease your mind, the gel isn’t cold. We make sure the holder is somewhat heated.”

The silence that settled when Ellen put the transducer on Regina’s belly was heavy, and Regina had a hard time breathing. The nerves were back in full force, but Ellen was focused completely on the screen. 

“You should be able to see it, right?” Regina asked. Her voice was high and she cleared her throat before she glanced at Ellen, and then back at the screen. 

“Of course,” Ellen said and then pointed toward something on the screen. “There is your baby.” She moved the transducer around a bit, and in the silence that settled again, suddenly a rapid beating was heard. “That’s the heartbeat.” 

Regina closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. While she still wasn’t sure how to feel about the pregnancy, she was relieved that the baby was alive and okay. “That’s...that’s a relief.” 

In the silence, the heartbeat sounded faster than Regina had expected and for a moment, she wanted to ask why that was. But all she could do was stare in awe at the screen as Ellen wordlessly measured and documented. 

“The baby is as healthy as can be, Regina,” Ellen said with a smile before she took the transducer off of Regina’s belly. “Why don’t you wipe the gel off and we’ll move to the desk.” 

Ellen handed her a towel and then moved toward her desk, quickly starting her information input. 

Regina wiped the gel from her belly, and narrowed her eyes as she pulled up her jeans and pushed down her shirt. She could feel the way her shirt stuck to her belly where the gel had been, and she sighed. 

She took a folder out of her bag and handed it over to Ellen. “This is everything you’ll need to know about the procedure and my health during the preliminary exams.” 

“Thank you.” She added the information to her own and then glanced up, smiling softly. “I have a list of things you can and cannot do, though I’m sure you know about most of them already.” 

Regina nodded her head. She’d been worried about what she could and couldn’t eat, so she’d done some research at home. 

She cleared her throat, her own mind focused on something else completely. She put a hand on her belly and sat down. “Everything is okay?” 

“The baby is healthy and you are healthy. Your blood pressure is a bit high but I’m sure that’s just because you’re nervous.” Ellen smiled again. “Do you have any questions for me?”

Regina shook her head, not able to think of anything else than the fact that her baby seemed to be healthy, and she seemed to be as healthy as possible. She tried to remember what she’d read on the clinic, and when something popped up in her mind she bit her lip. 

“I read on your site that there’s multiple OB’s here, does that mean there’s a chance I get someone I don’t know during labor?” 

“No,” Ellen shook her head before she grinned and handed Regina a pamphlet. “We actually get this question a lot. We rotate, which means you’ll meet all of us, at least once.” 

She hadn’t expected that at all, she’d expected to have one obstetrician during the whole pregnancy and delivery. “Oh.” 

“If you don’t like that, we can see if there’s something we can change. Some women who come here don’t feel comfortable not knowing who’ll be there during labor.” Ellen scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Regina. “Mary will help you on your next appointment, you can tell her what you’ve decided.”

“Thank you.”

Ellen inclined her head with a smile. “You’re welcome.” She stood to her feet and walked around her desk. “Well, you know where to find us if you have any questions, and my assistant up front will give you the date and time for your next appointment.”

It took Regina a moment to realize that she was holding out an envelope for Regina to take. She took it, and glanced at it before she looked back up.

Ellen was already holding out her hand for Regina to shake. 

Regina stood to her feet and gathered her belongings before she shook Ellen’s hand. She didn’t know what she had expected, but at least everything was okay.

And that was what was most important. 

—SQ—

When she got settled in her car, she finally took a moment to see what was inside the envelope. 

The sight of the ultrasound picture brought tears in her eyes, and she stared at it for the longest time. 

Regina slowly pushed the picture back into the envelope and then pushed it onto her bag, before she took out her phone to call Emma. 

Her heart was thudding hard in her chest as she unlocked her phone, only to find two text messages from Emma— _ I’ve just gotten home, and realized you didn’t even have my address so here you go— _ and a message containing Emma’s address. 

Regina smiled and texted Emma back— _ thanks, I actually just finished my meeting and I’m on my way. I’ll see you in a bit— _ before she put the address in her GPS and started the car. 

Emma lived close to the clinic and for a split second, Regina panicked with the thought that Emma might have seen her leave the building. It was very clearly an OB clinic. 

She knew she had to tell Emma, especially now that she knew everything was alright. She knew she  _ should  _ have already told Emma, and give her a chance to back out before they’d gotten too close. 

She was being selfish, not telling Emma until after they would’ve spent most of the weekend together. 

Her stomach heaved as she got closer to the apartment building she’d seen Emma disappear in on their first meeting. She remembered the way it looked, and she knew she was close. 

After about five minutes, she parked her car in the parking lot near the building and she breathed in deeply. Her hands were tight around her steering wheel, her knuckles white. 

She would give them one night together, one night where they could enjoy each other and each other’s company, before she ruined everything by telling Emma. 

She would tell her tomorrow. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Hi.”

Emma sounded  _ happy, _ and for a moment guilt overwhelmed Regina. She wanted to tell her  _ now _ because she didn’t want to string along the amazing woman standing in front of her. 

Her bag dropped to the floor as Emma wrapped her up in a hug, and everything else was forgotten as she melted into the embrace. 

“Hi.” 

“Come in,” Emma said, not letting go of Regina even as she stepped inside. Regina leaned down to grab her bag before she followed Emma inside, and when Emma had closed the door, her lips crashed into Regina’s.

The kiss was more passionate than any of their kisses before, and Regina knew their relationship would move to the next stage even before Emma pressed her back against the door. 

She wanted it. She wanted, maybe even  _ needed  _ one night with Emma before she lost her forever. 

Regina moaned into the kiss and pressed herself harder against Emma, and gasped when Emma pushed her knee between Regina’s thighs. 

She was acutely aware of the fact that her stomach seemed tighter as Emma pressed against her, and she wondered if Emma could feel it too. 

She let her head fall back with a thud against the door, and Emma moved from her mouth to her neck with practiced ease before she focused on Regina’s pulse point, her grip tightening on her hips.

“Oh,” Regina made a sound when Emma pulled back, and whimpered when she grinned at her. “Why are you stopping?” 

Emma panted out a breath before she smiled. 

“I have food on the stove. I thought we could have a nice night in after this long week,” she replied and then pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “If you want to go out, I'm sure we can find a nice place that allows walk-ins.”

Regina pulled Emma against her and held her tightly. “I’d love to spend a nice night in.” She pressed a kiss to Emma’s temple before she let the blonde go. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” 

Emma shook her head. “Not that I can think of, but you can definitely join me in the kitchen and keep me company.” 

“Of course.” Regina smiled and followed Emma into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and moaned when the scent of the food hit her. “Gods, this smells delicious. Are you sure your Michelin star friend didn’t make this?” 

Emma hadn’t cooked for her before. 

It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to, or even offered multiple times. It was just that Regina was very careful about who she allowed into her kitchen. She loved her kitchen and she didn’t want anyone burning it down to the ground. 

“She helped me prepare,” Emma admitted before she held up a bottle of red wine. “Can I offer you a glass of wine?” 

Regina swallowed and shook her head. “No thank you. Maybe later,” she replied before she leaned forward on the kitchen island. “How was your week? You sounded exhausted earlier today.” 

Emma hummed as she stirred the pot and then moved toward Regina and leaned against the counter next to her. 

“Since the grand opening, I’ve run into some things that should’ve been planned better.” She turned around then and poured herself a glass of wine before she took a sip. “I had to go in and fix another one of those issues, even though I am sure my staff could’ve taken care of it themselves.” 

Regina didn’t know if she should ask what had happened, because Emma looked more than agitated and she didn’t want to add to it. 

“So you took care of the problem?” She asked instead, and Emma hummed, nodding her head before she took another sip of her wine. 

“It wasn’t even that big of a problem...anyway, what about you? I heard Kathryn right before you hung up,” Emma said as she turned and leaned her hip against the counter next to Regina. 

Regina straightened up and crossed her arms, wincing at her own sensitivity before she smoothed her expression. 

She didn’t miss the way Emma frowned, even though it was only a split second.

“She thought I’d kept something from her.” Regina thought back on the conversation with Kat and she bit her bottom lip. She  _ had  _ to be convincing even if it was to cover only the night. “I had scheduled a town meeting without telling anyone yet, while normally I tell her the moment I schedule it.”

Emma narrowed her eyes and hummed. “She sounded more upset than I imagine her to be about town meetings.”

Regina inclined her head. “She has things going on that make her more emotional than she should be.” 

There was a silence while Regina tried to think of a way to change the subject. She loved Kat and she enjoyed talking about her, but she didn’t want to spill anything Kat didn’t want anyone to know. 

Emma pushed away from the counter to check on dinner and slowly sipped her wine. She moved with the grace of a dancer and Regina was just about to ask something completely random, when Emma looked up. 

“Dinner is almost done.” She moved to the cabinet and grinned at Regina. “Would you mind setting the table?” 

“Of course not, tell me where everything is and I’ll get it sorted,” Regina replied, relieved to have something to do, and that the tension seemed to leave the room at the request. 

Regina relaxed while she set the table and Emma put the finishing touches to their dinner. 

—SQ—

Dinner was great. 

As they stood in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner, Regina suddenly wanted to kiss Emma. 

She didn’t even know where the urge came from; all she knew was that she wanted to be close to Emma and to feel every part of her pressed against her body. 

“So what are we doing tonight?” She asked to distract herself. She could feel the pull toward Emma and she stepped a little closer, enjoying the heat radiating off of Emma.

“I don’t know, I thought we might want to watch one of those romantic comedies,” she paused and glanced at Regina. “Do you have any suggestions?” 

Regina lifted a brow, and Emma smirked. 

“A romantic comedy does sound great,” Regina said, and then bit her bottom lip. She moved even closer to Emma and pressed herself against Emma’s side. “I can think of something else I’d rather do.”

Emma’s eyes darkened at the touch and Regina could feel her heart sped up at the sight. “Yea?” 

“I’ve been looking forward to kissing you  _ all _ week. I’d love to spend the time I have with you doing something like that, rather than watching a movie.”

Emma hummed in agreement, and glanced back at the dishes they’d been washing. “We can...we can definitely do that.” She pressed a chaste kiss to Regina’s lips. “I have a TV in my room. We can totally make out teenage style.” 

Regina chuckled. “In other words, we’ll turn on the TV, act like we’re going to watch a movie and then make out instead?” 

“I’ve always wanted to make out like a teenager. I hear it’s hot.” Emma winked and wiped her hands on a towel before she turned and pulled Regina into her arms. Again, Regina was more than aware of the fact that her body seemed to be changing. “We can even skip the dishes, why don’t you get comfortable so that we can be lazy and hang around in bed?” 

“Sounds great.” Regina wanted to stay in Emma’s arms forever and the thought startled her. She pulled back with a smile. “You should show me where I can find everything I’d need right now.” 

Emma grinned. “Definitely.”

—SQ—

Regina breathed deeply to settle her nerves, and then walked into the bedroom. 

Emma had already settled everything; the movie was ready to play, and there was a glass of wine and a glass of water on the bedside table. 

The blonde herself was nowhere to be found and Regina wet her lips as she shakily made her way to the bed and sat down on the edge. 

“I’ll be right with you,” Emma’s voice sounded from somewhere in the house. Regina frowned as she tried to figure out  _ where  _ Emma was. “I just wanted to change into something a little more comfortable too."

And when Emma strolled into the room just a minute later, Regina grinned. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, ready for bed as she smiled at Regina. 

“If in the end, we make out so much we fall asleep, at least we’re both ready, right?” Regina chuckled before she stood to her feet. 

“Exactly.” Emma inclined her head. “Okay, so I set up the movie, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted anything to snack.” 

“I’m good on that front,” Regina said as she rubbed her hand over her stomach. “I’ve gained weight as it is, let’s not add to that.” She felt her heart skip a beat when she realized what she’d said, but Emma let her eyes roam over her body before she looked back up at her. 

Her eyes were so dark, the green was almost gone. “Yea, I don’t see the problem.” She pulled Regina against her and the air left her lungs when Emma crashed her lips on hers. 

The kiss was slow and languid as they stood next to the bed. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma’s waist and then moved her hands up from the small of Emma’s back, to the spot between her shoulder blades. 

And back down again, pulling her even closer. 

Emma moaned into the kiss and then turned them, only to push Regina down on the bed and following without breaking the kiss. 

Emma’s knee moved between Regina’s legs, and this time it was Regina's turn to moan when the blonde pushed her knee against her core. 

She throbbed with need, and her body moved on its own accord as she pulled Emma as close as she could. She  _ wanted  _ so much more. 

“Oh god,” Emma panted as she pulled back, gasping for breath as she pressed her forehead against Regina’s. “I love kissing you.” 

Regina hummed. Her entire body was buzzing and throbbing with need, but Emma pulled back as if she wasn’t as affected. 

And maybe she wasn’t. 

“I love kissing you too,” she husked as she wet her lips and shifted her body, away from Emma’s knee. 

Emma swallowed thickly and rolled off of Regina and onto her back. “I already feel like a teenager.” She chuckled and Regina hummed as she covered her eyes with a hand. 

She needed to get herself under control. 

She leaned up on her elbows and glanced at Emma. “So which side do you prefer?” 

The change of subject was abrupt, and Emma blinked before she sat up. “Oh, I don’t really care. Whatever suits you.” 

Regina hummed before she moved to sit back against the head of the bed. She smiled at Emma, and held out her arms. “Come, we were going to watch a movie and make out like teenagers.” 

Once they were settled, cuddled next to each other, Emma started the movie. Regina usually never bothered with romantic comedies, but Emma seemed to like it. 

They actually watched the movie longer than Regina expected, until Emma moved and started pressing hot kisses against Regina’s throat and neck. 

It wasn’t until Emma sucked on her pulse point thatRegina could feel herself starting to throb again, and she changed her position to be able to kiss Emma with ease. 

Before long, the kiss had picked up and their tongues searched each other out. Soft moans filled the air, especially when Emma pulled Regina down so that they were laid out on the bed instead of sitting against the headboard. 

Regina pulled Emma toward her and sighed into the kiss when the blonde covered her body with her own. The pressure was heavenly and then Emma pushed her thigh between Regina’s. 

Regina panted as she pulled back. “Oh gods.” 

Emma smiled before she put a little more pressure on her leg. “If you want me to stop, all you have to do is say stop.” 

Regina moaned, and then shook her head as her eyes closed. “Don’t...don’t stop.” 

Her head felt heavy as her body and she enjoyed the way Emma knew just what to do to make her shudder with pleasure. 

Everything about tonight seemed perfect, and while she had definitely hoped for more than kisses, she would settle for it. She would  _ enjoy _ the way Emma’s hands roamed her body, seemingly mapping her reactions to certain places. 

She didn’t notice the way she started breathing heavily, but not in a way that said she was enjoying it. 

Her mind slowly shut down, and she fell asleep with a gentle smile on her lips, completely unaware of everything around her.

—SQ—

Regina woke up with a heavy arm over her waist and her stomach roiling. She had expected that to happen but still, it surprised her when she dry heaved. 

She pushed Emma’s arm away from her without thinking about the fact that the movement would wake Emma, and she rushed toward the bathroom, a hand clasped over her mouth.

She was just in time, as she sank down on the tiles of the bathroom, and lost the contents of her stomach into the toilet. 

Emma grunted, but followed her and soon Regina felt her hair being pulled aside. Her heart warmed at the gesture, even though she was a mess. 

Regina dry heaved over the toilet one last time, and her stomach settled a little. She didn’t dare to look at Emma, afraid of what she might find there. 

“Are you okay?” Emma asked softly. “You didn’t drink anything last night, so that can’t be it. Did the food not settle?” 

Regina shook her head and swallowed, grimacing at the nasty taste in her mouth. “I know this has nothing to do with the food. The food was great.” 

Emma frowned. “Were you not feeling well before?” She asked then. “Or...the only reasons I can think of other than that is you’re either sick or pregnant. And you can’t be pregnant.” 

Regina didn’t say anything for a long time. 

How could she best break the news? 

She sighed, and then cleared her throat. “Actually, I am...” her voice faded when Emma stood up, and frowned down on her. 

She offered a hand down to Regina, and as she helped Regina up, she narrowed her eyes. “And you didn’t think to tell me about that?” 

“I was going to tell you—” Regina started and Emma held up her hand. 

“But you didn’t. You didn’t think I would want to know something big like a pregnancy, when I started dating you?” Emma asked, her voice eerily calm and collected. She shook her head when Regina started to explain, and sighed. “You should...you should freshen up, and I’ll get us some...something to drink.”

She left the bathroom without another word, and Regina bit her bottom lip to stop the trembling. She took a moment to breathe before she glanced at herself in the mirror. 

Emma was right, she  _ should  _ have mentioned it when they started dating. She had known it was a possibility, even when the test came back negative. 

Regina brushed her teeth, angry with herself, and was about to move to the bedroom when she heard a door slam. 

The  _ front _ door. 

She only allowed herself a moment, and wiped at the tears that slowly rolled down her cheeks before she gritted her teeth and gathered her things. 

She wouldn’t be here when Emma returned.

—SQ—

She left her suitcase in the car, and hurriedly made her way into the cold and empty mansion. 

Ever since she’d started dating Emma, her house hadn’t felt like a home unless Emma was there with her, and she sighed as she kicked off her heels. 

She was exhausted; the whole drive home she’d fought the tears from falling, and had chastised herself for feeling so emotional over a woman she’d only been dating for two months. 

Of course Emma had every right to want to stop seeing Regina, and of course Regina didn’t have anything to say to change the blonde’s mind. 

That didn’t stop the pain. 

Her phone rang, somewhere in the coat she’d just draped over the chair in front of her and she sighed as she ignored it. 

She needed a moment. She needed more than a moment. 

The moment turned into a day. She took a shower, and then a nap and ended up going to bed earlier than she normally would. 

She checked her phone once, before she went to bed. She found she had more than enough missed calls from Kathryn, and one text from her— _ why are you home? I thought you were staying with your girlfriend? _ —which she ignored. 

And a missed call from Emma, followed by a text— _ I was ready to follow, but I might need some time to wrap my head around this— _ that made her want to cry. 

So, instead of replying to anything, she sank down in her pillows and settled under her sheets, and closed her eyes. 

No matter how upset she was over the fact that she’d lost Emma over something she hadn’t told her, she knew she needed sleep and her body was exhausted. 

She was asleep within minutes. 

—SQ—

She’d dressed in her most comfortable clothes. She wasn’t expecting anybody to arrive at her door, because she had ignored the steady income of calls from Kat and she knew her friend would understand. 

The oversized sweater and form hugging yoga pants were about the only thing that she could tolerate, especially in the morning when her stomach was still upset. 

She ignored the fact that her belly was starting to make it hard to wear anything too tight. 

She moved through the house in a daze, still exhausted. She ate a piece of dry toast for breakfast, and by the time lunch rolled around she was famished. 

Regina moved through the kitchen, surprised Kat hadn’t showed up on her doorstep yet. 

She was glad, because she really did want the day to herself so that she could adjust to being alone again. 

But then the doorbell rang. 

She rolled her eyes. Of course she couldn’t have expected anyone to leave her alone for only a moment. 

She made her way to the door and glanced through the window beside it. A head of blonde hair was all that was visible and she sighed; Kat had never been one to wait. 

When she opened the door, though, it wasn’t Kathryn that had graced her doorstep. 

“Emma,” she breathed in surprise as she blinked, her eyes immediately burning with tears. “What are you doing here?” 

Emma huffed, and then crossed her arms. “I came home and you were gone, I thought we’d talk.”

“You left without a word.” Regina swallowed thickly as she crossed her own arms, defensive like Emma. “I didn’t think you’d want to have anything to do with me.”

“I have to admit, I left angry, and I’m glad I took some time to think before we talked, but honestly? I really wanted to talk. I just needed a pick me up.” 

“I...I assumed you wanted me gone,” Regina murmured as she took a step aside to let Emma in. “You sounded so angry, I didn’t want to force you to deal with this.” 

Emma sighed before she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She pulled Regina into an embrace, and for a moment Regina didn’t move. Her body was tense and stiff and she didn’t know  _ what  _ she’d expected, but it definitely hadn’t been  _ this _ . 

Tears threatened to spill and Regina blinked quickly before she forced herself to relax in Emma’s arms. 

“I want you to understand one thing...I really,  _ really _ like you and while this is huge, and you should’ve told me about it before we got into things, I don’t want to let this go just yet."

Emma stepped back and Regina swayed on her feet at the loss of comfort, but also at the surprise. She glanced up at Emma, and then shook her head. 

“I’m twelve weeks pregnant...everything is already starting to change. Do you really want to date a woman pregnant with another man’s baby?” 

“Do you still talk to this man? Or...are you still involved with this man?” Emma asked, her face contorted in a frown. 

“No!” Regina exclaimed before she pushed away from Emma. “I mean...I used a donor.” 

Emma hummed, and her eyes lit up. “So there’s no ex waiting to swoop in and suddenly take care of you and the baby?” 

“No,” Regina said softly. “Absolutely not. Listen, when we met, I’d just gotten out of the clinic. I didn’t think I’d  _ actually  _ meet someone worth dating right after I’d gotten inseminated.”

“Clearly.” Emma’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “I honestly can’t believe it...fate has some twisted way of making people happy, huh?”

“I like you, I wanted to tell you today regardless of what had happened between us,” Regina started, and then paused as she took a moment to gather her thoughts, one hand moving to her belly unconsciously. “I never expected to find someone to share my life with. I made this decision and I thought it was the right one...until we started dating.” 

Emma bit her lip and nodded. “So why didn’t you tell me then? I mean, you knew you were pregnant by the time we had our first date.” 

“Actually, I didn’t.” Regina shook her head and turned on her heels, fully expecting Emma to follow her into the kitchen. “I found out when I was already eight weeks along because the first test I did resulted in a false negative.”

Emma hummed behind her and Regina turned back toward her to watch her. “Well.” Emma frowned.

“Yes?” 

“I mean, there’s probably things about me you might not be sure how to deal with either, and I’m not saying I want to be the mother of your baby,” Emma said quickly, “but I really want to get to know you and if that means that I’m knowingly stepping into this, now, knowing that in about six months you’ll have a baby, then so be it.”

Tears filled her eyes as Regina let the words sink in. She was well aware of the incorrect comparison of Emma’s words but she didn’t want to say anything. 

She wanted to believe that they could work this out together, and still enjoy each other’s company, because while she wasn’t sure, she suspected that she liked Emma more than she was admitting, or even realizing. 

“Really?” 

Emma inclined her head and moved toward Regina, a soft, unsure smile on her face. It told so much yet so little, and Regina waited with bated breath. 

“Really.”


	6. Chapter 6

Regina pushed down the waistband of her slacks and groaned before she leaned back in her office chair. While her clothes had been tight for a couple of weeks now, it was starting to irritate her. 

Kathryn looked up with narrowed eyes. Regina sighed before she bit her lip and held her hand between her bump and the waistband of her slacks. “My clothes are getting too tight.”

Kat hummed, a gentle smile on her face even when her eyes flashed with something Regina couldn’t place. “I’m surprised you held out for so long. Your clothes have been tight for weeks. I’m sure you can find some time to schedule a bit of shopping.”

“I know,” Regina whimpered as she sat forward, her slacks making it harder for her to breathe as it seemed to tighten even more. “I just don’t know where to go and I don’t want to waste my time with Emma running around buying maternity wear.”

“How  _ are _ things with Emma?”

Regina regarded Kat for a moment, trying to figure out what she was asking exactly. She sighed. 

“Beside the fact that we don’t talk about the pregnancy? It’s actually going really well. I love that she’s spending so much time here, and that I can spend weekends at her place.” 

“But?” Kat asked with a frown. 

Regina sighed again. “But...she doesn’t seem to want to talk about this,” she gestured toward the growing bump that, while still easily hid, was very clear to people who knew she was pregnant. 

“It’s been a month, right?” Kat asked and when Regina hummed in agreement, she sighed. “Well, I can't blame her because maybe it’s not as real for her as it is for you.” 

“What do you mean?” Regina rubbed a hand over her tiny bump, and narrowed her eyes when she realized what Kat was saying. “Because she can’t feel anything yet?” 

“Basically, she’s been on the outside looking in, even as your girlfriend. It’s  _ your  _ body that’s changing and growing to accommodate this baby, not hers. And if you don’t share...”

Regina bit her lip as her heart skipped a beat, and she narrowed her eyes as she let Kat’s words sink in.

Of course Emma knew and  _ saw  _ certain changes in her body, but as long as Regina didn’t  _ talk  _ about it, Emma wouldn’t talk about it. 

“It’s just...I don’t want to rub it in, you know? She didn’t choose to get involved with someone who was pregnant...I don’t even think she wants children.” 

“I understand.” 

“I mean, the pregnancy blindsided her... _ I  _ blindsided her,” she went on, and shook her head as she glanced at the ceiling. “I don’t blame her for not really wanting to talk about it.”

“Who says she doesn’t  _ want _ to talk about it though? How have you reacted or handled her not talking about it?” Kat lifted a brow. 

“I’ve avoided talking about it,” Regina said with a shake of her head as realization dawned on her. “Of course she doesn’t address it, because  _ I  _ don’t.”

She  _ knew  _ what her friend was trying to achieve with this line of questioning and she leaned back in her chair as she let her moments with Emma replay in her mind. 

She’d effectively stopped all conversation about her pregnancy and the way it seemed to affect her day to day life more than she wanted to admit. She was  _ still  _ nauseous at random times and her clothes had gotten tight to the point of chafing even in places where they shouldn’t. 

“So you’ve been shutting her out and you wonder why she doesn’t talk about it?” Kat rolled her eyes. “You’re such an idiot sometimes. Talk to Emma. She said she wanted to be here for you even after she found out about the baby.”

Regina knew Kat was right, she needed to talk to Emma and find out where they were going, and most importantly, how much she wanted to be involved. 

“You’re right.” 

Kat grinned. “I know I am. I’ve known you since kindergarten, you push at people when you’re afraid and you’re afraid she’ll leave you.” Her face sobered and Regina closed her eyes for a moment. “I get that it’s scary but you’re never going to find out if there’s more if you keep pushing the people you’re dating away after two months.” 

Regina cleared her throat. “It’s been four.” 

Kat whistled as if impressed. “That’s a record for sure. Come on, talk to Emma, okay? And then tell me all about it because I want to know what’s been going on.”

Regina took a moment and counted back, only to realize, “Wait...you’re actually right, Kat. It’s only been two months.” She sighed, getting back to the conversation at hand. “I don’t know what you’d want to know, but we’ve been taking it slow.” 

Too slow, if anyone would ask her. 

“You...Regina, don’t tell me you guys haven’t done the deed yet? You  _ never  _ wait this long.”

Regina smiled as she opened her eyes to look at her friend. 

It was safe to say it hadn’t been on her, that they hadn’t even had sex yet.  _ Emma  _ had been the one holding off, pulling back whenever the make-out sessions got too steamy. 

Thinking about it with everything that she’d talked about with Kat in her mind, she realized it was mostly because they hadn’t talked about the pregnancy yet. 

“Alright, Kat. I’m going to talk to Emma about this baby, and the pregnancy and what that might change for us.” She stood to her feet and smiled down at Kathryn. “Thank you, darling.”

Her friend stood to her feet, and Regina made her way around her desk. She pulled Kathryn into a hug, and chuckled at the surprised expression on her best friend’s face when she pulled back. 

“I can honestly say she’s already changed you for the better.” Kathryn blinked and then stepped away. “Go find your girl and make her talk. I really need to get home anyway.” 

“Why don’t we have dinner sometime this week? Just the two of us,” Regina suggested, her brain already working overtime to figure out a way to thank Kathryn for showing her what she wasn’t seeing. 

They hadn’t really talked about what was happening in her life ever since Regina started seeing Emma, and she was sure there was more than enough going on. 

“I’d love that,” Kathryn said with a soft smile before she turned and made her way to the door. “I’ll text you later.” 

When she’d left, Regina sighed and moved back to her desk. She didn’t bother sitting back down, but turned off her computer and tidied the papers before she grabbed her bag and coat. 

No matter how nervous she was, she would make sure that she knew where Emma stood. 

She wanted to take that next step in their relationship, and they needed to be on the same page for that. 

—SQ—

When the doorbell rang, Regina straightened up and smoothed her clammy hands on her dress. 

She’d left the office and called Emma right away, because it was still early enough for Emma to make it for dinner. She’d already planned on coming over for the weekend anyway. 

Regina was nervous. 

She’d fixed a simple Italian dish she knew Emma would love, and she’d changed into the only dress she could still wear without feeling uncomfortable. It also happened to be Emma’s favorite dress. 

She made her way to the front door and took another deep, steadying breath before she opened the door with a smile. 

“Hi.” 

Emma looked tired but happy. “Hey, you look great!” She leaned in for a kiss and Regina hummed into her mouth before she pulled back. “I’d have brought wine, but—” Emma glanced at her obvious belly before she looked back up with a smirk. 

“How very thoughtful of you,” Regina replied with a smile before she stepped aside. “I am almost done with dinner, why don’t you bring your bags upstairs?” 

She was sure that Emma could see her nerves when the blonde narrowed her eyes, but she simply smiled and turned toward the stairs with her bags. 

Emma took a deep breath and then turned her head. “Italian?” 

“Indeed.” 

“Awesome,” Emma grinned before she ran up the stairs, two at a time. 

Regina made her way back to the kitchen and got everything ready to bring to the dining table before she grabbed a bottle of beer out of the fridge for Emma, and a bottle of water for herself. 

She was in the process of pouring her water into a glass, when she felt Emma’s arms wrap around her waist, hands settling on her belly in a way she’d never done before. 

She tensed, but only for a split second. She  _ wanted  _ them to be able to enjoy this pregnancy together. 

“I don’t know how I’m  _ just  _ now seeing how much you’re actually already showing.” 

Regina hummed. “It looks like I ate too much.” 

“Yea, but we both know that's not the case.” Emma pressed a kiss just behind Regina’s ear and a shiver went down her spine before she took a breath. “I like it.”

Regina turned her head to press a kiss to Emma’s cheek and she clenched her jaw as her throat tightened. She could only describe the feelings that bubbled up as love, and it surprised her enough to give her a start. 

Because she couldn’t love Emma yet, could she?

So instead of saying anything about her feelings, and the way her heart was thumping loudly in her chest at the thoughts running through her head, she cleared her throat.

“Can you take the food to the table for me?” 

“Of course.” Emma pressed one last kiss to Regina’s cheek before she stepped back and took the dishes to the dining table. “So I’m guessing there’s something you want to talk about?” 

“Yes.” Regina didn’t see the need to hide her intentions, especially not since she was wearing a dress that was hugging her curves even more than it normally did and she could feel Emma's eyes on her as they settled at the table. 

She could also feel the way the dress was straining around her belly. It was comfortable, as the only dress she could still wear without feeling like it suffocated her. 

Regina plated their food before she cleared her throat and took a sip of her water. “I actually had a talk with Kat about how I’ve been shutting you out of the pregnancy and everything involving it.” 

Emma hummed. “Alright.” 

Regina took a moment and watched Emma.

There was no anger, nor annoyance at the fact that Regina seemed to have shared personal information about their relationship. 

“She’s right, though. I haven’t been talking to you about it, about the changes.” She shook her head and then took a bite of her food, trying to clear her thoughts. “I need to learn to let you in.” 

“Well, you  _ have  _ sent me out for pickles and...just thinking about it makes me shudder...peanut butter.”

Regina chuckled. “Yes, and I’m glad I did.”

They both stayed silent for a while as they ate, and then Emma looked up with a frown on her face. 

“So you want to...what? Where are you going with this?”

Regina shrugged and looked down at her plate. She was about halfway done but suddenly, she wasn’t hungry anymore. “I want us to be able to talk about the pregnancy and our feelings honestly."

Emma inclined her head and slowly chewed the bite in her mouth. She was deep in thought, and Regina watched her as her own thoughts started to overwhelm her. 

What if Emma didn’t  _ want  _ her to talk about the pregnancy? What if after the month of silence—except maybe for the strange cravings she’d had—Emma wanted to keep it that way?

What if Emma wanted to break it off because of the pregnancy, now that she’d had time to think?

Emma cleared her throat and Regina pulled her shaking hands off of the table, and balled them into fists in her lap, before she glanced up. 

Emma smiled. 

“I want to be with you, and the pregnancy...the baby is part of you right now, and when it’s born, it's going to be part of the package too.” Emma seemed unsure about that part but before Regina could point it out, Emma continued. “I’m nervous about that, of course. But I think I still have time.” 

“What do you mean?”

“I still have time to grow into the person I think I should be to be able to deal with the kid?” Emma shrugged. “I’m not just walking away, because I’m...well, let’s just say that I don’t want to walk away.” 

“Alright,” Regina drawled, as she pushed back her chair and took a deep breath. “Well, my darling, I would love to be able to talk to you about everything that happens because of my pregnancy.” 

Her voice was low and husky, seductive, and judging from Emma’s reaction, she  _ knew  _ what Regina was talking about. 

Emma leaned forward just as Regina stood to her feet, and a scent washed over her. It wasn’t a bad scent, exactly. Regina was sure she’d liked it. 

Before the pregnancy. 

She swallowed and tried to keep the smile on her face, but Emma stopped her movements and narrowed her eyes anyway. 

“What’s wrong?” 

Regina shook her head, swallowed and then swallowed again. “Nothing,” she said thickly, before she felt her stomach roll. 

She slapped a hand in front of her mouth and ran to the bathroom, leaving a stunned Emma behind. 

—SQ—

When she returned to the kitchen a little while later, Emma had cleared the table. 

“I’m so sorry,” Regina murmured, her cheeks flushed with shame. The last time she’d run from Emma was when she’d told her about the pregnancy, and she didn’t like the reminder. 

Emma turned with a smile. “It’s fine, I’ll have to take a shower though.” She turned all the way and crossed her arms over her chest. “I tried a new perfume.” 

Regina wondered why it hadn’t bothered her earlier, but she shook off the thought. Pregnancy was unpredictable and didn’t follow any rules as far as she knew. 

She pressed a hand against her bump, and breathed out slowly. 

“I like it...my stomach just really doesn’t.”

“Do you mind if I take a shower? I want to be able to cuddle with you without making you sick again.” 

“Of course not. You’ve been here enough to know I want you to feel at home, right? Go, I’ll finish up here and we can watch a movie?” 

“I’d love that,” Emma murmured before she moved toward Regina. Something must’ve tipped her off because she stopped abruptly and shook her head. “Maybe you should get into something more comfortable too.” 

“The only comfortable clothing I have are sweatpants you left behind and...your Boston shirt.” Regina frowned down at the dress, and sighed when she realized she couldn’t hold it off any longer. “I need maternity wear.” 

Emma glanced down at the dress one last time before she inclined her head. “Why don’t we drive to Boston tomorrow? I know some great stores that carry exactly what you need and we can even do some window shopping.” 

Regina hadn’t expected to see the excitement that was clear in Emma’s eyes, at just the thought of going shopping. She shook her head in disbelief before she smiled at the thoughtfulness.

“If you really wouldn’t mind?” 

“Of course not. I love shopping and you need clothes that don’t make you feel like you’re getting fat, right?”

While she disliked the visual Emma gave her, Regina simply inclined her head. 

“Well, let’s get ready for a cuddle in front of the TV, and we can get everything you need tomorrow,” Emma grinned before she turned and left the kitchen. 

Regina sighed in relief when she finally realized that she wasn’t losing Emma anytime soon. 

—SQ—

The first store Emma took Regina to, had nothing to her taste. 

Still, she roamed through it and pushed around dresses and jeans with adjustable waistbands. 

“What do you need, though?” Emma asked as she followed Regina around the store. “Maybe you can get some of those jeans for your time off?”

“I don’t know...I know I mostly need business attire because of my job. You know I don’t really wear jeans.” Her frustration at not even knowing what she wanted or needed was slowly building. 

“So you’ll want to go to one of those upper class maternity stores?” 

Regina sighed and then shrugged. “I don’t know Emma, I think so. I don’t want to wear pregnancy clothes. There’s never anything to my taste.” 

“How do you even know? Isn’t this the first time you’re pregnant? And wait...didn’t you  _ want  _ to be pregnant?” Emma asked incredulously before she shook her head with a soft smile. “Why don’t we look for a store that has some more of what you might be looking for?”

They moved through three more stores, but none of them had anything that Regina would be able to wear to work. Her frustration was skyrocketing, and she wondered if she was asking for too much. 

But then Emma steered her into the fourth store, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was  _ exactly  _ what she was looking for, and she could see it with just a glance. 

“This is it.”

Emma grinned widely. “Lucky for us, I know someone who works here so maybe we can get some special treatment.” 

While Regina pulled clothes off the racks to take with her to the fitting room, Emma made her way to the cashier. 

Regina couldn’t hear what she was asking, but when she returned, Emma smiled. “She isn’t working today but they are going to make sure you have a great experience. The girl kept saying it’s not every day you’re pregnant.” 

“That’s true,” Regina murmured thoughtfully before she looked up at Emma with a smile. “Thank you, for taking me here. I think I’ll find what I need here.” 

“I’m sure you will.” Emma leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Regina’s lips. “I think this’ll be amazing, and you can definitely wear this for a second pregnancy.” 

Regina blinked in surprise and Emma cleared her throat as she stepped back. Neither had expected those words. 

So Regina ignored them. “Let’s go see what suits me and what doesn’t, shall we?”

—SQ—

“Oh, gods, look at that stroller!” 

Regina widened her eyes as she took in the sleek black stroller in the shop window. She’d always loved strollers and cribs and everything that had to do with babies. 

And now she was able to buy everything she wanted because she was expecting. It was both exciting and nerve wracking. 

Emma hummed in approval and grabbed Regina’s hand. “Let’s go inside and look closer.”

The saleswoman didn’t waste any time. As they stopped in front of the stroller, she sidled up beside them with a huge smile. 

“This is  _ the  _ stroller you’ll want to have,” she said and Regina looked up and narrowed her eyes. “It has everything you might need, and it’s easy to fold and easy to carry, lightweight and very sensitive to every movement you make.”

Regina clenched her jaw and moved away from the woman and Emma chuckled. “So why are you pitching like you’re trying to sell us a car?” 

Regina stepped away in annoyance. Being harassed by salespeople was high on her list of frustrations and she knew that she would have to swoon over the stroller some place else. 

She slowly made her way through the store while absentmindedly moving her fingers against her bump. She’d already gotten into one of the outfits she’d bought earlier, and she felt more comfortable than she had in weeks. 

The store was  _ huge _ , carrying everything from strollers and cribs, to books and toys for all different ages. 

She  _ loved  _ reading, and her hand subconsciously covered her belly as she squinted at the titles.  _ What to expect when you’re expecting _ was displayed prominently and she sighed as she picked it up. 

Of course she’d heard of the movie, and she knew that this was  _ the  _ book everyone seemed to want to read. 

She also knew she’d buy it. 

She picked up three more books, including one for Emma, even though she wasn’t even sure Emma would  _ want _ to read it, and made her way to the register. 

She didn’t really pay attention to the way Emma was hunched over the counter, writing something. She simply paid for the books with a smile for the cashier before she turned back toward Emma. 

She ignored the bright smile on the sales woman’s face, before she turned toward Emma. She wanted to go home and cuddle some more before Emma had to go back home, now that they still had more than enough time. 

Emma smiled as she handed the woman back the pen she’d borrowed and then stepped toward Regina. “All set?” 

“Yes,” Regina hummed with a responding smile on her face, “All set.”


	7. Chapter 7

Regina _ adored _the maternity wear that she’d bought with Emma, and had even ordered more. The sizes had confused her, and she was glad that she’d gone to the store to find out what her size was. 

She stepped into her flats, and turned so that she could look at the swell of her stomach in the mirror. She was very clearly starting to show, and she knew there wasn’t much time before people would _ notice _. 

Eighteen weeks. 

She found that she touched her belly more often than not, and as she looked at herself in the mirror, her hand caressed the bump. 

In a couple of weeks, she’d be able to find out the gender. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know, but then again every big decision she had to make, made her doubt herself. 

Would she want it to be a surprise, so that she could plan a gender neutral room? Or did she want to find out so that she could plan practically?

It would have been nice to be able to adjust her opinion based on the input of a partner. 

Even though Emma filled those shoes with most practical issues, she kept her distance with anything baby related. She would _ not _give her input on whether or not Regina should find out the gender. 

Emma made it very clear she was with her for _ her, _and not the baby. She was content with being Regina’s girlfriend, without the responsibility for the baby. 

Regina breathed in deeply before she smoothed her hands over the blazer, and she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

Emma had asked if she could come over for dinner, something she hadn’t done before. It was usually implied, even when they switched weekends. Emma would always be welcome. 

The mansion was quiet without Emma, and Regina never wanted to give up the ease in which they moved together. 

The fact that Emma has asked, made Regina anxious. It _ sounded _ different, and because it was a weekday, it _ was _different. 

Her phone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts, and she didn’t bother checking her caller ID before she answered it. 

“Regina Mills.” 

“Hey, Regina,” Emma’s breathless voice sounded, and Regina lifted a brow in surprise. But before she could give her a proper greeting, Emma went on. “Can you stay at work a little longer today? I...I have a surprise but I’ll need to set it up.” 

“I don’t like surprises, dear.” 

“I know. But, if it helps, Kathryn is helping me with a big part of it. ” Emma inhaled sharply and Regina _ almost _took pity on her, the anxious energy transferring even over the phone. “Anyway...it’s just dinner, so it won’t be a huge surprise.”

Regina pressed a hand to her chest, her throat tight as she tried to swallow past the lump. 

It brought tears to her eyes, mostly because of the fact that no one had ever taken the time to cook her an authentic home cooked meal. Emma was truly special. 

“That does help.” Her voice shook and she cleared her throat. “I’ll look forward to trying what you come up with.”

“Good because it’s going to be amazing, just you wait.” Emma sounded happy and Regina couldn’t help but smile. “Anyway, stay at the office a little later or go out for...no, stay at the office,” Emma adjusted and chuckled. 

“I’ll stay at the office until six, dear, not a minute later. You’ll have to make sure to be done by then,” Regina murmured as she leaned against the kitchen counter. 

She hadn’t even been planning on going in today, but she wanted to humor Emma and she wanted to be pampered for a night. 

“That’s alright, thank you.” 

“I’ll see you tonight, Miss Swan.”

Emma was silent for a moment, and Regina could hear someone speak in the background. It was something that happened more often than not. Emma was usually too busy during the week to even make the drive on Friday _ before _ five. 

“I've got to go...but see you tonight, Madam Mayor.” 

—SQ—

Time seemed to stand still around five. She’d finished everything she needed to finish before the weekend, and had even managed to start some of her projects for next week. 

In the two and a half months they’d been dating, Emma had never gone out of her way to plan something, and Regina was nervous about what the night would bring. 

She disliked surprises for exactly this reason. 

She had almost asked Kat when she’d come over for a spontaneous Friday lunch, but even before she could voice her thoughts, she knew Kat would not tell her a thing. 

The anxious feeling low in her belly stayed all through the day. 

She left the office at six, and arrived at the mansion five minutes later. She opened the door and took a deep breath, the smell of food wrapping around her in a pleasant way as she stepped inside. 

“Honey, I’m home,” she called out teasingly before she kicked off her flats. She made her way toward the kitchen just as Emma appeared in the doorway.

“Hey,” she greeted, a bright smile on her face. She wore Regina’s apron, and it made Regina chuckle before she took in Emma’s face. 

Something very akin to love shone through on her face and it made Regina’s heart skip a beat at the sight. 

“Hi.” 

“So I’m not done yet,” Emma started and then glanced back into the kitchen before looking back at Regina. “You have more than enough time to take a bath and, you know, relax for a bit.”

Regina raised a brow. “A bath?” 

Emma flushed before she nodded. “Yea...I want you to be comfortable. Tonight is your night, okay?” 

“Okay,” Regina gave in with a smile. 

Her nerves settled as she took her bath, and at the last minute she decided to shave her legs. It was such a strange moment, but she felt much better when she was done. 

She stood in front of her mirror in matching bra and panties, and she knew if it happened tonight, she’d be ready. 

The soft swell of her belly pulled her attention toward it as she walked toward her closet for one of her more sensual maternity dresses. 

More often than not she found she was holding her hand on her bump, and she never thought she’d be _ that _kind of woman. 

The dress was form fitting and accentuated her best assets. It hugged her baby bump in a way that made her happy, and it pushed up her breasts. She knew where Emma’s eyes would be drawn to, and the image made her feel giddy. 

She made her way down the stairs, only to find everything dark and silent. 

“Emma?”

Emma didn’t respond right away. Regina called out again only to hear Emma call back from outside. 

“I’m in the back.”

When she got to the door to the backyard, she gasped. Emma had practically recreated their first date, the Christmas lights giving the scene a romantic glow. 

“_ Emma_,” Regina breathed as she blinked and blinked to keep the tears at bay. She glanced around and chuckled at the sight of the table beneath her apple tree. “This is amazing.” 

Emma stepped forward and pulled Regina into her arms, pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. Regina shivered when Emma’s body heat wrapped around her. She wanted _ more, _she’d been wanting more ever since she’d met Emma. 

“Kat said you felt bad about the first date.” 

Regina inclined her head as she thought back to their first date. She _ had _felt bad about ruining it, but she’d apologized and gotten over her guilt by making sure she’d made up more than royally on their other dates. 

And she had to admit that they’d more than made up for it.

“This is wonderful, Emma. I can’t wait to see what you’ve made for dinner.” 

Emma had gone out of her way to make Regina her favorite Puerto Rican dish. She explained that Kathryn and Mary Margaret had helped perfect it; she’d been learning to cook a lot lately because she wanted to be able to give back to Regina more.

The arroz con Gandules was perfectly topped with pork and Regina enjoyed the meal more than she thought possible. 

The conversation flowed with more ease than the first date, and Emma’s smile never left her face as they talked and ate. 

They talked about her pregnancy symptoms; she still had her mornings where she woke up sick to her stomach and sometimes she worried about that. She was still tired a lot, but Emma was always there to keep her spirits up. 

Her body warmed at the realization that Emma was more observant than anyone else in her life and she knew, without a doubt, that she wanted Emma in her life for a long time. 

Emma’s eyes darkened as the night went on, and Regina was surprised to feel her body react to the way Emma looked at her. 

Kathryn came over to clear the table, and Regina blinked in surprise when she saw her best friend. 

“So for the second part of this date, I thought I’d help you relax a bit by giving you one of my most amazing foot rubs.” 

“Foot rubs?” Regina asked, her surprise more than clear. 

Emma lifted a brow. “Yea, foot rubs. I heard that with all the extra blood, your feet can hurt more so I wanted to, you know, give you a foot rub.”

“That was not what I expected.” 

Emma grinned and then held out her hand. “I wish I could tell you all I’ve planned, but what would be the fun in that?” 

“Oh, so there’s more?” 

“There might be.” 

Regina took Emma’s hand, and let the blonde lead her into the living area. She gently pushed Regina to sit down on the couch before she sat down next to her. 

“Emma—” 

She wasn’t sure if she liked the fact that Emma would be touching her feet, she never really liked people touching her feet. 

Emma stopped and blinked. “What?” 

“I...I don’t like to have my feet touched. Maybe you could...maybe a back rub?” 

Emma hummed with a nod. “Of course, but why don’t you go upstairs and get comfortable then? I’d want you to be able to relax completely.”

Regina stood to her feet and straightened the dress. Something about the way Emma was taking charge made her feel appreciated even more. 

And while the dress was comfortable enough, she would rather not have to wear it any longer. 

“Alright, don’t wait too long.” 

As Regina made her way up the stairs, she could hear Emma move toward the kitchen and talk to Kat. 

Something about that made Regina feel good; she liked the fact that her best friend had helped Emma, and that they were getting along.

She took off the dress and settled onto the bed. It was a lot harder to lay on her stomach than she had anticipated and she sighed, hoping she wouldn’t crush the baby if Emma really planned on the massage. 

“Kat just left, she said to tell you to have a good night.” Emma’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned her head before she opened her eyes. “Did you fall asleep?”

“No,” Regina mumbled as she took a deep breath. “Just resting my eyes. You know I’ve been working all day, right?” 

“I know. Can you still lay on your stomach?”

“I hope so, yes.” She turned on her stomach, and even though it had worried her, she could still settle in comfortably with some rearranging of the sheets and the pillows.

All she was wearing were her bra and panties and she felt weird being mostly naked in front of a fully dressed Emma. 

It was as if Emma read her mind, as she popped the button of her jeans. “I’ll just get a little more comfortable...if you don’t mind.” 

Regina swallowed thickly at the sight of Emma’s smooth skin. “I don’t mind.” 

The thought of Emma’s skin on hers as she massaged her, made her core throb with need unexpectedly. 

Emma climbed onto the bed and with some maneuvering, settled herself. She sat just below Regina’s ass, and the feeling of the skin on skin contact was everything Regina had expected. 

“An old friend of mine loved the fact that I studied massage therapy for a bit,” Emma’s voice seemed to take on a richness Regina had never heard from her and it made her body react even more. 

She could feel butterflies in her stomach. 

“You did?” 

There were questions she could ask, but all she could focus on already was the fact that Emma seemed to move expertly, and the way her body reacted to every movement. 

Her cheeks flushed as she realized that she’d been feeling some kind of effect of the pregnancy for at least two weeks; she’d wanted to jump Emma’s bones ever since that particular symptom had kicked in. 

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with myself at that point.” Emma snapped open her bra and pushed it aside, but never asked Regina to take it off. For a moment, nothing happened, but then her hands moved on Regina's back in a heavenly way. “I took a course and liked it, so I took another and another. By now I have enough experience to work in a parlor but I didn’t feel like that was what I wanted.” 

Regina moaned as Emma worked her magic, and huffed when she heard the chuckle of amusement above her. 

“You wanted...wanted your own coffee shop.” 

She _ knew _ she was stuttering but she couldn’t help it as Emma worked through knots in her back she didn’t even know she had. She _ wanted _ to moan and groan as she could feel the way her body relaxed slowly. 

“I did. I wanted to be my own boss...to have the control over my hours and while it’s hard work, I enjoy every minute of every day I’m there.” 

They stopped talking and Regina let Emma move her arms so that she could work her shoulders and arms. 

When Emma moved down, she stopped. “Is it okay if I do your legs too?” She asked softly, and Regina simply hummed in response. 

Her eyes were closed and her body was on fire with every touch of Emma’s hands. She wanted _ more_, she _ needed _more. 

She was about to take a risk and say something when Emma cleared her throat. 

She moved her hands down to Regina’s thighs, and Regina clenched her jaw as the throbbing settled between her legs intensified.

She was shaking. 

Emma slowly worked the muscles and Regina blinked and then moaned against the feel of Emma’s hands on her thighs. 

“Emma.” She knew she shouldn’t just assume, but the way Emma touched her felt loaded and she knew, without a doubt, that whatever she would ask her, she would get. 

“Yea.” 

It wasn’t a question. 

Regina turned around under Emma, and smiled up at her before she leaned up and pulled her down, their bodies touching, stomachs touching and then, at long last, their lips. 

It was more than just desire and arousal that fueled the kiss. Regina knew that there were things that they hadn’t talked about yet. How could they have, after only two and a half months of dating? 

Emma’s hands moved down Regina’s body, and she gasped when she accidentally pulled down her bra. 

“Oh, shit...I’m sorry,” Emma murmured against Regina’s lips before she tried, and failed, to cover Regina’s breasts again. 

Regina chuckled before she pushed against Emma’s shoulders, breaking the kiss. “Take it off.” 

“Are you—”

“Take it off Emma,” she repeated and Emma nodded her head, a flush on her cheeks. “I want...I want you.” 

With her bra out of the way, Emma moved down a little and pressed heated kisses to Regina’s skin. 

Her neck, her throat, back to her pulse point. 

Her heart thudded against Emma’s lips and Emma licked, and then bit into the skin gently before she licked again. 

Regina moaned. 

Emma moved back and kissed her again. 

When she pulled back, they both panted to catch their breaths. “You taste amazing, like...you taste like patchouli.” 

Regina hummed and then sat up a little, her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you take off your shirt? I feel like either you’re overdressed, or I’m underdressed.” 

Emma struggled with her shirt, tangling her arms in a way that made it hard to pull it over her head and Regina bit her lip, but failed to stifle her laughter. 

“Don’t laugh,” Emma muttered exasperated before she grunted and with one big pull, took off her shirt. “That was so far from sexy.”

“I don’t need sexy, Emma,” Regina husked as she pulled Emma back down, and into a kiss that was more than just her passion. It was her love. “I just need _ you. _”

She whimpered when Emma pressed her knee against the apex of her thighs, and shifted her hips when she felt the way her panties stuck to her wetness. It sent another rush of heat through her body. 

Her own thigh pressed against Emma and she could feel the slick heat coming from the blonde. It was heavenly, and she wanted to feel, and taste and hear Emma moan as she came. 

“Take off your panties,” she demanded as she scooted back. She missed Emma’s heat immediately, and she hurried to take off her own panties as Emma did the same. 

“Regina,” Emma husked as she moved again, leaning forward and pulling Regina against her. She kissed her again and again, and then pulled back and moved down as she pressed Regina into the mattress. 

The mood shifted, and Emma’s hands seemed to be everywhere. Regina didn’t know what to focus on, as Emma palmed one of her breasts and pulled a nipple in her mouth. 

“Oh gods.” Her voice was throaty and she could hardly get the words out as Emma stimulated her already easily stimulated breasts. “Fuck.” 

Emma moved down, pressing kisses down her stomach. She lingered at the swell of her belly and Regina lifted her head and looked down at Emma, only to see her looking back up with something in her eyes that could only be described as love. 

Love?

“Is this okay?” Emma asked gently as she pressed another kiss to Regina’s bump. 

“Definitely,” Regina murmured in response, her voice thick with her emotions. “Absolutely.”

Emma moved down again, and then settled between Regina’s legs. She pressed kisses to her thighs, blowing hot breaths over her heated skin. Regina shivered when her core throbbed with need. 

“I want to taste you so badly,” Emma murmured and pressed a kiss closer to Regina’s center. “You smell amazing—fuck.” 

Regina moaned and her hips bucked on their own accord before Emma pressed her back down. 

“Emma,” Regina husked, hoping she could convey what she wanted with just that. 

“Tell me what you need,” Emma said, instead of catching on. “Tell me what you like.” 

Regina whimpered as she gripped the sheets, her knuckles white. “Taste me, kiss me, _ fuck _ me.”

Emma hummed against her skin and then pressed a gentle kiss against Regina’s folds. 

She was swollen, ready, dripping wet as Emma used her tongue to spread her folds and then licked up from her center to her clit. 

It was something she’d never experienced before; she’d never before been with a woman but _ Emma _clearly had been. Regina shuddered as Emma’s tongue pressed hard in just the right places and moved featherlight in others. 

She enjoyed every nuance and she loved every feeling Emma gave her and she closed her eyes when Emma added a finger into the mix. She slowly pressed into Regina’s center, and then pumped twice before she added another finger. 

Emma knew what she was doing. 

With her overly sensitive body, it didn’t take long before Regina came hard and fast, and she could feel the liquid dripping out of her center before Emma lapped it all up. 

Her body shuddered and her back arched as she called out Emma’s name, her breathing coming in short pants. 

She pulled Emma up, and the grin on Emma’s face spoke of more to come when she came down from her orgasm. 

“Gods.” Regina puffed out a breath and pulled Emma into a kiss so hot it was searing. “You really know how to work a body.” 

Emma chuckled and shook her head. “You’re very responsive.” She took a deep breath and curled into Regina’s side, but Regina had other ideas. 

“No, my darling.” Regina pushed Emma on her back and straddled her hips, a smirk on her face. “It’s your turn now.” 

—SQ—

Her stomach rolled and Regina moaned as she turned on her back, a hand pressed to her stomach. 

It wasn’t anything new, she had woken up nauseous more often than not since she’d found out she was pregnant, but she’d hoped it would end in the second trimester. 

Her obstetrician told her some women have morning sickness throughout their entire pregnancy. 

The door to her bedroom opened, and Emma walked in with a tray balanced on one arm as she pushed open the door. 

“Hey.” 

Emma startled, and quickly grabbed a hold of the tray before she glared at Regina. “You could have made me drop it.” 

“Sorry,” Regina replied, a little sheepishly. She swallowed as bile rose in her throat and she scooted up and leaned against the headboard. 

“So I know you’ve been having morning sickness, and I know you want to get rid of it so I did some research and I heard that when you make sure to have something light in your stomach before you begin your day, the nausea won’t be so bad.”

Regina hummed. “That’s very thoughtful of you.” She touched her bump, and watched as Emma’s eyes followed the movement before she set down the tray. 

“It’s not much—but it’s said toast actually helps. And if you’ll let me, I want to do this for you whenever I can.” Emma’s face lit up with her smile. 

Regina smiled back, her heart swelling in her chest. “Thank you. And please, do. If it helps me get through the day without nausea, I’m all for it.”


	8. Chapter 8

Regina shivered in the cool air in the room as she lay on the exam table with her swollen belly exposed. She kept a close eye on what her OB did, with the transducer pressing against her skin. She held on tightly to Emma’s hand, squeezing occasionally.

The way she was situated, with the transducer pressed tightly on her belly, there was more than enough pressure on her bladder and she had been told to drink enough water to help with the exam. It caused her to squirm around, the need to go to the bathroom growing with every movement the OB made.

She didn’t mind, though, as long as she could see her baby and _ know _that everything was okay. There was a pressing silence in the room that was only filled with the clicking and whirring of the machine. Her OB turned back toward Regina with a smile.

“The baby is thriving, growing according to your due date. You’re taking great care of him, Regina,” she was a gentle woman, and Regina wracked her brain to remember what her name was. 

It was only after another moment that the words sank, and Regina widened her eyes as she cleared her suddenly tight throat.

“Him,” she murmured. “Are you sure?”

She glanced up at Emma with a watery smile before the first tear slid down her face. The OB inclined her head, an ashamed flush coloring her cheeks. Another tear slipped down Regina’s cheek and the woman looked positively faint with worry all of a sudden.

“It’s okay, she _ wanted _ to find out the gender,” Emma said quickly, and Regina wiped at her cheeks before she blinked and nodded. “I don’t understand, why are you crying? Aren’t you happy?”

Regina nodded again quickly and laughed with the realization that she would be giving birth to a baby boy in about four months.

“However cliche, as long as he’s healthy, I think I’m happy.” She wiped at her eyes again when she continued to feel tears slide down her face, and glanced back at the OB. “He’s healthy right?”

“Yes he is very healthy.” She clicked a couple more buttons before she took the transducer off of Regina’s belly and handed her a towel. “He’s growing perfectly, right on schedule and everything is where it should be. I didn’t expect anything less though.” 

Regina cleaned her belly and quickly straightened her clothes as she sat up. She looked down at her bump and smiled before she stood to her feet. She loved the changes in her body even when she didn’t. Even when she felt like she was fat, she loved looking at her bump. She loved the idea that there was a baby growing inside of her. 

A baby boy. 

Tears sprang into her eyes again and she wiped at them with only a little annoyance.

“I’ll call you in a couple of days with the results of the blood tests,” the OB said as she leaned against the desk. “I know it seems strange but really, we do this with every pregnancy we supervise.”

“I have no idea how it all works,” Regina replied as she moved to stand closer. “You could tell me you need nail clippings and I’d believe you.” 

The OB grinned. “Luckily, we don’t.” She took a breath and changed the subject. “Melinda is your next OB, she’ll talk about the labor and delivery with you because you’re passing the halfway mark.” 

“Time flies.” 

Regina smiled at Emma and then turned back to her OB. “Alright.” She rubbed a hand over her belly and narrowed her eyes. “When am I going to feel him?” 

She thought she’d felt him more than once, only to start doubting it the moment the feeling was gone. The feeling of butterflies, or even gas, could be a lot of different things besides movement. 

“Since it’s your first pregnancy, you might not feel anything until the twenty fifth week, but who knows, there’s a chance you’ll feel it today.”

“I thought you could feel the baby sooner,” Emma murmured and the OB turned toward her. A blush crept on her face and Regina smiled. “I don’t know...this is the first time I’m this close to it.” 

“Usually with later pregnancies it’s pretty normal to feel the baby as soon as sixteen weeks, but this is Regina's first pregnancy and she doesn’t know the signs yet.”

“Like?”

“Emma—” Regina shook her head and smiled at her, before she turned to the OB. “I read what I might feel and what I might think is movement.” 

“It’s different for everyone, and that’s okay.” 

As they wrapped up their time together, the OB explained some things that Regina needed to keep an eye on, get enough rest when needed, and warned her to still expect nausea if she didn’t eat well enough. 

“She keeps waking up nauseous, what do we do with that?” 

“What have you been doing?” 

Emma smiled and winked at Regina, and she felt her cheeks flush. “Emma has been bringing me toast whenever she stays over. I usually get sick the moment I get up without something in my stomach.”

“That’s good,” the OB said with a smile to both. “That’s more than most figure out. Keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be fine.”

—SQ—

Regina didn’t think anything could ruin her good mood. They got into her car, but before she could start the engine, her phone buzzed in her bag. 

“Could you get that?” Regina asked Emma, her mind still reeling from the news. 

“It says it’s your mother? It’s a text,” Emma sounded confused, Regina had told her that there wasn’t much contact, and here she was, reaching out?

Regina stiffened in her seat and stopped the engine. She swallowed thickly as she reached for her phone and read the message—_ I’m in town for a business meeting tomorrow. I’ll come over for dinner tonight— _and read it again until the words blurred over. 

“I need to prepare for dinner.” Regina blinked again and shook her head. “Are you staying? Or are you going to go home tonight? I don’t...I’m not sure what’s best.” 

Her mood shifted and she narrowed her eyes as her mind worked a mile a minute. She didn’t know what to do, and she wanted to hide from the world for the next twenty four hours and come back out of hiding when her mother had moved on. 

Emma placed a gentle hand on her knee, and she jumped. She looked up, and Emma smiled softly. “Regina, I’ll do whatever you want, okay?” 

Regina breathed in deeply and then nodded her head. “Okay.” 

When Regina didn’t say anything for the longest time, Emma squeezed her knee and pulled her attention back toward the conversation.

“We don’t have to talk about your mother, but you do have to tell me what you want me to do, okay?”

“She’s...she’s a difficult woman. I was glad when she decided to move on from Storybrooke after she’d helped me become mayor, I’m just not sure how I can prepare you for her.” 

Regina leaned back against her seat and pressed a hand against her bump. She really had no idea if her mother would remain pleasant, or if she would be the ruthless hard woman she’d grown to hate. 

And then it happened. 

The movement she _ clearly _ felt against her hand. She gasped, and looked down at her hand pressed to her stomach, and willed the baby to move again. She could _ feel _Emma watching her, worry written all over her face and she knew that she should tell her that everything was fine. 

But he didn’t move again and all she could focus on was the fact that she had _ felt _ him move.

“Oh gods,” she murmured as tears sprang in her eyes. She sniffed and then wiped at her face with her free hand, as she tried to feel more movement by putting more pressure on her belly. “He just moved...I just felt him move!” 

Emma widened her eyes and then smiled. 

“That’s amazing,” she said as she reached out and took Regina’s trembling hand. “I can’t wait until he’s big enough so that I can feel it too.” 

“Me either.” Regina wanted to share everything with Emma, which meant she also had to find a way to share more about her childhood and her relationship with her mother. “Would you be willing to drive? I don’t think I should at the moment.”

They switched seats, which wasn’t something Regina was normally willing to do. Not in her own car, and not in anyone else’s car. As she settled into the passenger's seat, and Emma started the engine and pulled away from the curb, all she could think about was her mother. 

“Are you okay?” Emma asked, glancing toward Regina for a split second before focusing back on the road. “You know you have to think about what you want to do with the nursery now, right?” 

Regina hummed. Suddenly, a deep seated panic washed over her at the thought of her mother finding out about her grandson. She inhaled sharply, and turned toward Emma with her eyes wide. “I’m just glad she’s coming tonight, and not when I’m showing even more. I don’t want her to know...Emma, she can’t know.” 

Emma blinked in surprise at her vehemence, but nodded regardless. “Alright, we’ll make sure she won’t find out?” 

“Yes. That’s what we’ll do.” Regina nodded her head with a deep breath, before she sat back down in her seat. She moved on to the next topic in her anxiety ridden brain. “We should do some grocery shopping too, while we’re here.” 

Emma was a calming force, keeping her grounded in the moment and it was even more proof that Emma was her one, her person. She needed Emma around to keep her calm, otherwise she might not make it through the night with her mother and her criticism.

“Is there anything special you’ll want for dinner tonight?” 

Regina hummed and turned on her GPS to input the address. 

“Go there, they have the wine she likes.” She swallowed nervously as she thought of the alcohol she’d have to decline. “I’ll need something that looks and smells like wine too.” 

“You really want to go that far, though?” 

“Yes, dear. She’s going to want me to drink, even if I tell her I’m not feeling up to it. I won’t be able to get her to believe nothing is wrong if I really don’t drink so yes,” she paused, her heart in her throat, and breathed in deeply. “Yes, I’ll have to go that far.”

Emma made an agreeable sound, but then parked the car and shut down the engine. She smiled when Regina glanced around, and then leaned back in her seat. 

“There’s this amazing little baby store here that I’ve been wanting to check out,” Emma said with a smile. She reached out her hand and Regina took it without a second thought. “I want to buy you and the little bug his first clothes.”

Regina cleared her throat as it tightened around her emotions and she blinked away the tears that welled up again. 

Hormones.

“_ Emma_,” she breathed as she squeezed the hand in hers. “I...that’s so thoughtful.” 

She’d almost—_almost _—said those three little words. Her hormones were raging wild and free and she was almost a hundred percent sure that that’s why she felt so strongly for Emma. 

She _ couldn’t _tell her yet. 

“I thought you’d want to be there, so let’s go pick out his first set of clothes, yea?” Emma grinned. 

Regina wiped at her eyes and smiled brightly before she nodded her head. 

“Thank you so much.” 

“Let’s go inside, and pick out something you can take that little nugget home in,” Emma said before she stepped out of the car. 

For a moment, Regina didn’t move and she closed her eyes only to open them in surprise when the door opened. Emma held out her hand. 

“How gallant,” Regina said with a small smile before she took the offered hand and got out of the car. “I can’t wait to see what you have in mind.” 

Emma grinned and winked. “It’s going to be awesome.”

—SQ—

Regina didn’t know what bothered her more; the fact that her hands were shaking with nerves over seeing her mother again, or the fact that nothing she was wearing seemed to fit right. 

The dress was wide and hid her bump perfectly though, and as she smoothed her hands over the skirt she let her thoughts roam free for a moment.

Cora Mills was ruthless and driven, and she had used both of those traits to get Regina to grow and thrive in the world. She’d been a strict parent, and had disciplined Regina whenever she thought it was needed. 

As Regina was growing up, she saw and realized that the way her mother pushed her and disciplined her, wasn’t the norm. She missed the way other kids her age seemed to get hugs, and praise, while she didn’t even know what a hug felt like anymore. 

Her father had passed away when she was fourteen and she still missed him with every fiber of her being.

She had never been able to make her mother proud, not even when she became mayor. If she was honest, even before the pregnancy it had hurt to think about it, because her mother had known exactly how to hurt her, and Regina had only been able to break down in private.

“Regina, you have another text from your mother,” Emma’s voice sounded breathless and Regina turned just in time to see her appear in the doorway. 

“What does she want?” 

Emma looked down at the screen and bit her lip. “She says she doesn’t want to stay in tonight,” she paused when Regina huffed, “and that she wants to take you to the only restaurant in town?” 

“Of course she does,” Regina gritted. “Could you do me a favor and take the food off the stove? We’ll just eat it tomorrow.”

Emma left the room and Regina sighed again before she turned back to the mirror. She wasn’t sure if the dress she was wearing was right for any restaurant, but there was nothing else she could do this short notice. 

She made her way down the stairs, and smoothed her hands over her skirt again before she placed one hand on her bump. 

It seemed surreal when she thought about it, hiding her pregnancy from her mother seemed wrong, but she knew she wanted to _ enjoy _it for a moment longer. 

Emma moved to stand next to her and after a moment, she pulled Regina into a hug. “I don’t know what your relationship with your mother is, but everything will be okay, right?” 

“Of course.” Regina blinked and inclined her head, her chest tightening around her anxiety in a way that made it hard to breathe.

Emma huffed out an unamused laugh. “If I can do anything to help, just tell me?”

Regina blinked again and took a deep breath. “I don’t want her to know about my life, she will only use it against me.” 

“You mean,” Emma paused and cleared her throat before she bit her lip, “you mean you want to hide us?” 

Regina swallowed thickly. “I...I don’t know, I think it’s for the best.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I just don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Regina almost whimpered when she opened her eyes and saw the look on Emma’s face. She had already hurt Emma by implying she wanted to hide their relationship. 

She knew she was being insensitive to Emma’s wants and needs and it hurt. All she wanted was to curl up in bed with Emma next to her.

“Emma, I—”

The doorbell rang, effectively cutting off Regina’s response. She knew she was showing her panic when Emma softened and gave her a genuine smile. 

“I’ll do whatever you want me to do,” she said softly before the doorbell rang again, and she rearranged the smile into a plastic one. 

Regina breathed in deeply and smoothed her hand over her bump again before she pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart was racing as she opened the door, and she took a step back when she saw the giant in front of her. 

He was wearing an impeccably tailored suit, but the look on his face was hard and unreadable.

“Mrs. Mills is waiting for you,” he growled before he stepped aside, his gaze flickering to Emma. “She said you can bring your _ friend_.”

Regina breathed in sharply to ask him how her mother had known, but then Emma tapped her shoulder. When Regina turned, she smiled shakily to Emma. 

“Thank you, dear,” she murmured when Emma held up her coat, and then helped her into it. She balled her trembling hands into fists, inhaled, and relaxed them again. 

She hadn’t seen her mother in three years. 

The blood drained from her face when right after her stomach heaved, she could feel the fluttering low in her belly. That could only mean that the baby had moved again, and she balled her hands into fists again. 

The giant opened the door, and lifted a brow when they didn’t move right away. Regina clenched her teeth before she got in, her fists shaking at her side. 

The moment the car door closed behind them, Regina felt uncertain, her mother’s penetrating eyes taking in everything about her. Her mother had that effect on her, and she swallowed thickly before she bit her lip. 

“Stop that. That’s one of the worst of your habits we could never get rid of.” 

She didn’t bother with a greeting but glanced at Emma with clear curiosity in her eyes. Her back tensed at the sight of it and she cleared her throat to get her mother’s attention. 

“Mother, this is Emma.” 

“A pleasure,” Cora murmured, ignoring Regina. It was clear that there would be questions, but as the car rolled away from the curb, Cora turned and stared out of the window. 

Regina wet her suddenly dry lips and clasped her hands together in her lap. She could _ feel _ Emma’s eyes on her during the drive to the restaurant, and she could _ feel _the confusion roll off of Emma. 

She didn’t like who she became when she was near her mother. She became small and unsure, and it wasn’t even close to the person Emma had gotten to know. 

She was weak, of course that would confuse Emma. 

The restaurant had done everything they could to make Cora Mills feel at home, like always. Regina could feel her anxiety grow with every glance her mother threw her way. 

She tensed when her mother’s eyes lingered on her waistline. 

“My daughter will have a salad,” she said when the waiter came to take their order. “You’ve gained some weight, dear, you should be more watchful of what you eat. We don’t want you to get sick.”

Regina flinched at the judgement in her mother’s voice, and as she swallowed her retort, she glanced at Emma. There was something dark and angry in her eyes.

Her stomach clenched and she swallowed again, her throat tight. She didn’t know what to think about the fact that Emma seemed angry. 

All through dinner, Cora made snide remarks about Regina’s weight, and the way she seemingly settled in a job too low for Cora’s standards. 

By the time dessert came, Regina was shaking and Emma’s face had a bright red hue to it. 

Cora seemed to be oblivious to their emotional states and shook her head when the waiter offered a menu. “Regina has had enough desserts if her waist and choice of dress is any indication.” 

Regina breathed in sharply, and squeezed Emma’s knee under the table to stop her from saying what was on her mind. Emma grunted, but pursed her lips and looked away. 

Her stomach clenched again, and the flutter low in her belly made her nauseous. The night was ruined, and all Regina wanted was to go home. She was glad that her mother had made up her mind about dessert. 

She almost whimpered when she watched her mother. She never wanted to become a parent like her mother, but what if she couldn’t help it? What if her son would feel inadequate every time she spoke to him, or told him to sit up straight? 

Her throat tightened and her eyes burned with tears. She didn’t want her son, or any of her possible children, to feel the way she did whenever her mother was around.

“Maybe it’s time to call it a night?” Emma suggested, breaking Regina out of her thoughts. For a moment, Regina couldn’t focus on what Emma had said. “You’ve had a busy day, right?”

Regina hummed in agreement. “Indeed I have. Mother, maybe we can try again some other time?” 

Cora opened her mouth, ready to interject, when Emma stood to her feet and Regina followed suit without even thinking about it. 

Her teeth snapped together, and Cora smiled through her apparent agreement. All she could do now was accept defeat, and pretend it was a win. 

—SQ—

Regina tried her hardest to push away the dark thoughts, as she climbed into her bed and laid down on her side. 

It had always been hard for her to let go of what her mother said, even when she knew it wasn’t the truth. 

“What are you thinking about?” Emma asked as she settled into her pillow. “Your mother really is something, huh?” 

“She is,” Regina replied and then cleared her throat as she slowly rubbed her hand over her bump. “I don’t want to become my mother.” 

It was as if the dam broke, and a sob escaped her lips as tears started to fall. She’d been holding herself together ever since her mother had decided to monopolize their night, but the fear of becoming as cold hearted as her mother broke her. 

“Oh, hey,” Emma murmured as she scooted closer and pulled Regina into her arms. Regina buried her face into the crook of Emma’s neck and did her best to quiet down. “You will never be as cold as your mother because the woman you tried to be tonight, isn’t the woman I’ve met. You’re an amazing woman and your son is the luckiest kid.”

Regina nodded her head, even though she felt as though her entire world was falling apart. 

“She never was a real mother until I started growing into this beautiful thing according to her.” Her voice was barely strong enough as she whispered the words. “She wanted me to be the perfect woman, the perfect daughter. She wanted everything _ her _way because she never got to go where she wanted.” 

“And where was that?”

“Higher up,” Regina shrugged because she couldn’t even remember correctly where Cora had always wanted to go. “She wanted me to make a name and she wanted...she wanted the world. Can you imagine her disappointment when I stopped right here?” 

Emma snorted. “I’d be so proud. But I can see her being disappointed.” She sighed. “I just hope you’ll know that this baby is going to be so lucky with you, he’s going to have everything his heart desires.”

Regina hummed, her mind slowly quieting down as Emma spoke, and her entire body reacted the moment Emma’s hand covered hers on her belly. 

“Thank you.” 

Emma nodded her head and pressed a kiss on Regina’s hair. The tension faded out of both of their bodies, leaving them exhausted. 

“Anytime, Regina. I—” she cleared her throat and Regina wondered for a moment what she’d wanted to say. “Good night.” 

Somehow, through her unreasonable disappointment, Regina smiled. “Good night.”


	9. Chapter 9

Regina chuckled when the baby responded to her tapping a finger on her belly. He moved around and tapped back, and it was amazing. 

It was something she shared only with him. 

She looked at Kat and tried to focus on what she was saying, but her mind was elsewhere. 

It had been a month since she last heard from her mother. It had been a month since they had dinner, since Regina had broken down. 

She didn’t know if she should be happy or sad. She tried not to dwell on the way her mother seemed to float in and out of her life too much.

“Regina,” Kat sighed and rolled her eyes as Regina blinked and refocused. “I am trying to tell you something and you keep zoning out.” 

“I’m sorry,” Regina murmured as she shook her head. “I’m just having a hard time focusing on anything lately.” She knew it was a weak cop out but using her pregnancy had often given her a moment of respite. 

“Does that have anything to do with a certain blonde? Or maybe...maybe it has to do with the fact that your mother visited you and you didn’t bother telling me?”

Regina pursed her lips and shook her head, not even surprised that Kathryn knew about her mother visiting. Nothing stayed a secret in a small town like Storybrooke and she should have known it would get back to Kat. 

“In a way, of course. I’m just surprised she hasn’t contacted me again after that disastrous night,” Regina looked down at her bump, slowly getting more pronounced, and she sighed. “Which I have to admit is a good thing, because if she found out about him—”

“Then what? He’s not even born, what is she going to do?” Kat asked. “You know you’re not going to let her ruin him, because you know what _ not _to do.”

“I know that.” She didn’t tell Kat about her breakdown after the dinner, and the way Emma had to talk her down. “I’m afraid she’s going to try and control everything and you _ know _ what happens when she swoops in and does her thing. I become...I become someone I hate.” 

Kat snorted. Her face showed her annoyance and for a moment Regina was afraid of what she might hear. 

“Then don’t. And before you say that’s easier said than done, I know that. I know it’s hard and she’s been controlling your whole life, but you _ have _to think of this little baby right now. You have to step up and stay strong.”

Kat was right. 

She’d been strong before and she could do it again. She had more than enough support and she wouldn’t be left alone and hurting when she had another falling out with her mother. 

Emma had even implied that she would be there to help. 

“Emma said the same thing, actually.” She took a deep breath and then took a sip of her tea. “I know I sound like a broken record, but I just want things to be better now that I’m about to become a mother.”

“So make it happen. Become better, make your mother see that you mean it.” 

Regina hummed in agreement even as plans started to form in her head. She _ wasn’t _going to reach out to her mother, but she would make sure that she wouldn’t let her mother control her again. 

She turned and settled more comfortably in her chair and watched Kat for a moment. 

She had invited her for a brunch, and while normally, Regina really didn’t want to miss any time spent with Emma, Kat seemed adamant and Regina wanted to know what was going on. 

“So what was it that you wanted to talk about?” 

Kat flushed and Regina knew it was something _ big. _When Kat stayed silent for a moment, Regina took that time to look around.

The new lunch room in Storybrooke had been a big surprise, but she loved it regardless and the citizens did too. It was as busy as it was on opening day, and people from outside of town came just for this venue. 

“Fred and I have been talking about having our own kids for months now,” Kat started with a smile and Regina turned back to her friend. 

“I remember.” 

She reached for her tea mug, and then glanced at Kat’s mug. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her friend drink tea. 

“He kept saying he didn’t know if he could become a father because he didn’t know anything about his parents,” Kathryn shook her head and Regina lifted a brow when she noticed the hand that moved, ever so slowly, toward her friend’s belly. 

“Kat,” she breathed as her eyes widened. “Are you—”

“I am.” Kathryn _ beamed _ at Regina and Regina stood to her feet. When Kat followed suit, Regina pulled her into a tight hug. 

Kat had wanted kids for as long as Regina could remember and it was somewhat of a hard subject when Regina decided to do it alone. 

“I’m so happy for you, darling,” Regina murmured in her friend’s ear as she held on tight. Kat’s shoulders shook and Regina felt her throat tighten. “Gods, this must have been a huge surprise for both of you though?” 

Regina pulled back but only enough so she could see Kathryn’s face. She gently wiped at the tears that slid down her friend’s cheeks. 

“It _ was _, but I couldn’t be happier.” Kat pulled back and wiped at her eyes before she glanced around. “I’m almost twelve weeks and Fred has already started trying to keep me from doing things. I think it’s safe to say he’ll be great.” 

They moved to the couch in their little corner and sat back down, their hands still clasped over Regina’s bump. 

When the baby kicked, both of them gasped at the feeling. Regina could see the awe on her friends face as she turned her hand and pressed it flat against the swell of her stomach. 

“Wow.” 

Regina grinned, still in awe herself whenever she felt him kick or move. “I know, it’s amazing, Kat.”

They talked about pregnancy and the changes that they both had gone through already. They talked about symptoms and cravings, about the sensitivity that Regina hadn’t been able to share with anyone before. 

Of course she had Emma to talk to, but having someone close to you that had gone through a pregnancy, or a certain phase in pregnancy, was different. 

“I’m glad we can talk about this.”

Regina smiled, her heart swelling for her friend. “So am I.”

—SQ— 

Regina had always loved wearing high heels. She’d taken to wearing the highest heels she could find whenever she needed the height to intimidate during meetings. She found, however, that since she was pregnant, she had a hard time wearing shoes at all. She didn’t even feel comfortable in her flats.

She kicked them off and breathed a sigh of relief as she got home. She narrowed her eyes when she realized that the mansion was too quiet, and she made her way toward the kitchen. Emma should have still been there, because they hadn’t talked about any change in their schedule. 

They usually had an early dinner together before Emma had to make the drive back to Boston, and it was still too early even for an early dinner. Regina had purposely left work early because she wanted to spend more time with Emma. 

Her phone showed no missed calls or messages, and she felt her heart sink as she imagined Emma had left without even a call or a message to tell her. 

“Emma?” She called as she moved through the mansion, one hand rubbing soothing circles over her swollen stomach, one hand running through her hair. The living area was empty, and so was the back. “Emma?”

There was no response. 

Her first reaction was to curl up in her bed and cry. She made her way to her bedroom, wondering what had happened for Emma to leave without a word. She didn’t remember a fight or even a discussion that went too heated, but even upstairs in her room she could not find any sign of Emma still being there.

She startled when something heavy fell down in the room next to hers, and she frowned before she quickly made her way to check it out. She had told Emma she was planning on fixing up the room to have the nursery close to her own bedroom. Emma hadn’t shown much interest in it, though, and Regina hadn’t brought it up again.

“Fuck!” 

She smirked even before she opened the door, because whatever she was doing in there, Emma was having a hard time with it. She pushed open the door only to gasp in surprise at the sight of Emma, in the middle of the nursery that was nearly done. 

“Emma,” she breathed, her heart skipping a beat as she took in everything around her. 

The color scheme she had offhandedly mentioned a while back was prominent; the pastel green and yellow and off white complimented each other. The crib had been set up for the most part, but Regina finally understood what the sound had been when she glanced back at Emma, annoyance on her face and a screwdriver in her hand.

“I’d hoped I’d be done before you got home...I just can’t get this stupid crib together.” 

When Emma moved closer, Regina cleared her suddenly tight throat and she blinked the tears away. “How did you even remember?” 

“We only talked about it a couple of weeks ago. I just wanted to do something nice for you, considering I can’t exactly help a lot right now.” Emma shrugged as she glanced around. 

“Emma, this is amazing.” Regina moved into the room and looked around. “How did you get this done in only two hours though?” 

“Oh, I’d already painted last weekend when you took that long nap,” Emma admitted and Regina huffed out a laugh. “I had everything ready for today, all I needed was a couple of hours to decorate but I’m...this crib is being stubborn.”

Regina moved closer to Emma and cleared her throat. “Emma, this is more than I could have imagined. I always thought I’d have to do all of this alone and here you are, having put together a nursery without me even knowing?” She shook her head and wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “This is perfect. Thank you.”

Emma grinned before she pulled Regina into a tight hug. All Regina could smell was Emma’s earthy natural scent and she breathed in deeply as she wrapped her arms around Emma’s waist. 

The moment felt more than perfect, and Regina leaned up to press her lips to Emma’s in a gentle kiss. It carried all of her feelings for Emma. It had only taken Regina three and a half months to realize her feelings for the blonde. She was absolutely sure of her love, though. Everything about Emma made her feel so much love, and she felt loved in return. 

She just wished she was brave enough to be the first to say the words. But she had been raised with the idea that love was weakness, and she couldn’t show anyone any weakness. 

Not even to Emma.

“This is amazing, Emma. I love it,” she said instead, even though those three little words were on the tip of her tongue. “I don’t know how to thank you.” 

“Oh, I know a couple of ways,” Emma said with a wink, before she grimaced and wiped at the sweat slowly rolling down her temple. “Let me finish the crib first though, and take a shower. Do you mind if I stay another night?” 

Regina moved back in surprise. “Of course you can stay another night. You know you’re always welcome here. Any specific reason, though?” 

“I feel like I missed you this weekend, and you had that lunch meeting with Kathryn and I’m dying to know what it was about. Was it at least good news?”

“I will tell you all about it during dinner, _ after _you’ve finished setting up the crib and taken a shower,” Regina said with a smile, her hand pressed tightly to Emma’s lower back. 

Emma smiled, then scrunched up her nose. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Regina’s lips before she slowly untangled herself from Regina. “I can’t wait for that shower.”

—SQ—

“Sometimes I wish I could feel him moving around too.” 

Emma held on to the towel she had tightly wrapped around her, while Regina dried her hair. Her bump was on full display as she had folded up her tank top so that she could moisturize her belly. She’d heard that nothing would stop the stretch marks from appearing, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try.   


“Maybe we should try tonight?” Regina suggested, looking up and smiling at the hopeful expression on Emma’s face. She didn’t have the heart to tell Emma that Kathryn had already felt him move.

“We can? How does that even work?”

Regina hummed and handed Emma the lotion she used for her belly. “Would you do me a favor and rub this into my skin?” 

Emma blinked at the sudden turn of conversation, but took the lotion and gestured for Regina to settle onto the bed. Regina made sure she was comfortable before she pushed down her panties a little. 

“Take your time,” she murmured as she looked down at her belly, and then glanced up at Emma with her throat tight with emotion. Everything lately overwhelmed her.

“I like this already,” Emma said with a smile before she squirted some of the lotion on her hands and started a gentle massage. “So how does it feel to be pregnant at the same time as your best friend?”

“I’m happy for her,” Regina said as she closed her eyes, a smile on her face. She stayed silent for a moment and her hand moved to cover the part of her belly where Emma had just lotioned. “I remember clearly that we’d always wanted to become mothers, and we usually talked about our kids playing.”

She pushed against her bump, and then did it again. He woke, and then moved under her hand. She pushed again, and forced him to move a little more toward the other side, toward Emma’s hands. 

“So you always wanted to have kids at the same time?” Emma kept rubbing the lotion into her skin and Regina hummed, enjoying the feeling. She could _ feel _the baby moving toward Emma’s hands, so why didn’t Emma?

“Hold still, will you? He’s moving,” she murmured. Emma stilled her hands, and Regina pushed against her belly again, forcing the baby toward the other side. She sighed when Emma took off even more pressure. “You have to press down harder if you want to feel anything, though.” 

Emma cleared her throat and pressed down harder. “Like this?” 

“Yes...now wait.” 

Regina opened her eyes at the same time she felt the baby kick against Emma’s hands and she smiled at the sight of the awe filled expression on Emma’s face. It was something she had been waiting to be able to share with Emma, and she knew that Emma had been waiting for it too.

“Oh…” Emma’s voice cracked and she cleared her throat as he moved. “That’s such an amazing feeling.”

He quieted down again when Regina took the pressure off of her belly, and she watched as Emma blinked quickly to push back the tears before she pulled down Regina’s tank top. 

“He’s growing stronger,” Regina murmured before she settled into the bed. Emma moved behind her and spooned her, her hand just below the swell of Regina’s belly. She could feel her body react, but she ignored it as best as she could. “It’s amazing to me that there’s a human being growing inside of me.” 

Emma drew in a deep breath. “I never really wanted kids, because...you know?” 

“I know,” Regina husked as her throat tightened once again. She was terrified Emma would leave, even though Emma made sure to show her the opposite. “I didn’t grow up in the best of ways either, what with my mother...and you were there when I had a breakdown over becoming like her.” 

“Which will never happen.”

“I know...I’m working on believing and having faith in that,” Regina quickly responded, before she turned in Emma’s arms and made sure Emma was looking at her before she added, “I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to become the person that raised you, or the people that raised you. You’d be an amazing mother.”

Emma shrugged. “I just don’t want to bring any more kids into this world when there are more than enough kids that still need a home. Did you even think about adoption?”

Regina pulled back, and frowned at Emma. “Of course I have,” she snapped. She took a deep breath, and wet her lips before she tried again. “I wanted to try...I wanted to see if this would work and if it didn’t...I would have gladly adopted.” 

“But only if it didn’t work?” Emma asked, and Regina swallowed thickly to get rid of the feeling she was being attacked for her choices by the one person she trusted to be mindful of her feelings. “I’m...it’s just that I’m curious.”

“Adoption was on my mind...I would have adopted.”

“But you wanted to try and see if you could conceive, even if that meant doing it alone, right?” Emma murmured and Regina swallowed her tears as she tried to pull up her wall before Emma could hurt her even more. “I’m not trying to judge you or your choices...I really am just curious.”

Regina pursed her lips before she breathed in deeply thought her nose. She felt like Emma was judging her, but maybe it was because of the hormones. She didn’t know what the reason was, she just knew the mood had shifted and she didn’t know how to make it better.

“I would have loved to adopt,” she forced out, and then frowned. “But yes, I wanted to know what it felt like to have a child growing inside of me. I have _ nothing _against adoption, Emma.”

Emma was silent for a long time and Regina took the time to really look at Emma. She looked tired, but there was something in her eyes that told Regina that she was feeling something very deeply. 

“You know, I never wanted kids, but somehow, somewhere in the past six months, I’ve grown to love this little nugget you’re carrying. I can’t even imagine a world without you or him in it and it scares me more than I thought it would.”

Regina turned back around and tried to keep her breathing steady as her heart skipped a beat at the words. She loved Emma, and she wanted her to be happy. She didn’t want Emma to feel like she couldn’t talk to her. 

Everything felt different now that they’d had their first difference of opinion, and Regina struggled to find something to say.

“Do you talk to anyone?” 

Emma nodded her head. “Yea. I’ve talked to Mary Margaret about this whole situation, and she’s been super helpful. She keeps trying to tell me what to expect now that you’re expecting, because she says she’s been through it before. I don’t think it’s the same.” 

Regina tensed, and gritted her teeth as her anxiety skyrocketed. “M-Mary Margaret?” 

Emma hummed. “She’s your friend right?”

Regina whimpered and then turned on her back, a hand covering her eyes.

Regina’s relationship with Mary Margaret hadn’t always been strained. They’d grown up together and had actually been the best of friends, until Mary Margaret had slipped up and told Cora a secret that Regina had begged her to keep.

It had cost Regina the chance to leave town and find her own happiness. 

“My relationship with Mary Margaret is complicated,” Regina whispered after a tense silence. She breathed in deeply before she opened her eyes and looked at Emma. “She knows my mother and she’s not exactly known for her secret keeping abilities.” 

Emma was silent for a while, and Regina could see the moment realization settled. “Oh.” 

Regina swallowed thickly at the understatement, but inclined her head. “I know. I’ll...I’ll talk to her and tell her Mother doesn’t know yet.”

Emma grunted. “I didn’t even think about that, Regina I’m so sorry.”

Regina shook her head. “Listen to me, please? This shouldn’t be as complicated as it is, so I don’t blame you for not thinking about it. Mary Margaret and her father were a constant in my life, and there’s a long and convoluted history I didn’t even get the chance to tell you about yet. It would also make things even harder, and I don’t want you to close off and break the only friendship you have here.”

“But you know she might tell your mother, and I don’t know her very well, but I do know that it won’t be pretty if she finds out from anyone but you.” 

“Let it go?” Regina pulled Emma against her and pressed a couple of gentle kisses to her face. “I’ll talk to Mary Margaret and if Mother finds out, we will deal. It’s okay.”

“Are you sure?” Emma asked.

“Absolutely.” 

It was only after the confirmation that Emma relaxed, and Regina breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Mary Margaret might tell her mother about the pregnancy, but after having thought about it, she realized she wasn’t even worried. 

Maybe she was growing after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Regina whimpered when the baby kicked especially hard, and glared at Emma when she chuckled and tried to pull back. Regina pulled her into her side again, and closed her eyes as she tried to get comfortable.

“He’s kicking up a storm,” Emma murmured as she slowly moved her hand down Regina’s body, causing a slow heat to build between her legs. Regina shifted again, and pressed her thighs together.

Emma placed her palm flat against Regina’s belly and tapped her fingers against the skin there. It didn’t take long for the baby to respond with a kick, and Emma grinned up at Regina again.

“Emma,” Regina breathed, shifting her body to press even closer to Emma. She gasped, however, when the baby had found the only way to make her forget about her desires. “I have to go to the bathroom.” 

“Remember, today is _ our _day,” Emma said with a soft smile, pulling away and rolling onto her back. “You know you want to enjoy our ‘stay in bed’ day.”

“I remember,” Regina rolled her eyes as she made her way to the bathroom. She had agreed to a ‘bed day’, as Emma had called it, because Emma wanted to use the last couple of months to enjoy everything they took for granted. 

Like spending the day in bed.

She sighed as she did her business and quickly washed her hands and brushed her teeth, before she made her way back into the bedroom.

“You know we still need sustenance. The baby is hungry,” she said when she noticed the way Emma had settled back under the covers. She sat on the edge of the bed, and gently ran a hand over Emma’s thigh under the covers.

Emma shivered and then sat up with a grin. “We’ll order in. I know Granny’s does breakfast delivery and you’ve been craving her breakfast foods.”

Regina’s stomach growled at the thought of Granny’s pancakes and she rolled her eyes before she poked at her belly. “You are supposed to like healthy food, little prince.”

“I told you this was a good idea,” Emma said with a smile before she got out of bed and made her way around it. She pulled Regina into her arms, even though Regina had told her she was uncomfortable with hugs lately. Her belly was always in the way, but Emma always found a way to make it enjoyable. “I’ll call Ruby and have her bring us our breakfast.”

Emma leaned in and kissed Regina’s cheek and for a moment, she wanted more. There was something so gentle about the gesture though, that she didn’t want to break the moment. The moment passed when Emma pulled away with a smile.

Regina pressed a quick kiss to Emma’s lips before she smirked. “While you’re down there, grab some bottles of water. If you want to spend the day in bed, we’ll need it.”

Emma grinned and then nodded her head before she made her way out of the room, and Regina got back into the bed. She settled in with her pregnancy pillow and closed her eyes, finally comfortable. She normally only used the pillow when Emma wasn’t with her, but that hardly ever happened anymore.

A lot had changed in the past couple of weeks, including Emma practically moving into the mansion. After Emma had taken it upon herself to finish the nursery, Regina had realized her feelings for Emma went deeper than she’d been willing to admit. She was afraid it would all fall apart if she did. 

Cora had disappeared, they hadn’t heard anything from her since the dinner, which could only mean that she’d left town.

The baby was growing perfectly, and was as healthy as could be. Regina had already picked out a name for him, but she’d been careful about sharing it with anyone, even Emma. 

She blinked when the door opened, and then smiled when Emma joined her in bed. 

“You look like a queen,” Emma pointed out and Regina hummed before she closed her eyes again. She still had days where she could hardly keep her eyes open and concentrate on her work, and she was just lucky that it happened more often when she was off. 

“I bet.” 

“This is why we need a day in bed,” Emma added after a moment. “You still have some time before the little nugget is here, and you should take advantage of it.” 

Regina stretched her arms over her head and arched her back, enjoying the way she could feel her body realign. Emma was right, she _ should _take advantage of days like these for as long as she could.

“It’s just...it’s strange to think about,” she murmured as she brought her hands to her belly and rubbed at the exposed skin there. “I can’t imagine how it will be when he’s here.” 

“Well,” Emma’s hand joined hers on her belly before she spoke. “I know for a fact that you will be amazing. I’ve seen the way you talk to him, and you’re already super protective.” 

“I don’t want anything to happen.” 

“I get that, I’m just saying I love how you’re always holding him when you think no one is looking.” 

“I do?” Regina asked, surprised that Emma had even seen it. She was aware of it, of course, ever since she’d started growing, and ever since she’d been visibly showing, she had been touching her bump. She never thought she’d be the kind of pregnant woman she’d always resented.

“You do. It’s adorable,” Emma admitted and then moved a little closer. “I’ll be here to help you, I’ll protect him with my life too.” 

Regina blinked quickly to stop the tears from falling at the sudden onslaught of emotions. Emma knew exactly what to say to make her cry. 

“Well, you did practically move in already, so that wouldn’t be a stretch,” she replied with a gentle smile instead. She didn’t want to cry. 

Emma grinned and was about to say something, when the doorbell rang through the house. 

“Saved by the bell. I’ll get our breakfast.” 

Emma winked before she slipped out of bed again, threw on a pair of sweats, and left the room. Regina listened to the hum of their voices as Emma talked to Ruby, and even as she dozed she could hear the front door close. 

Emma returned five minutes later, balancing a paper bag on top of two plates, while holding a tray with two styrofoam cups in it in the other. 

“What did you get us?” 

While Regina struggled to sit up, courtesy of the little boy seemingly already pressing her down, Emma set everything out onto the bedside table. 

“Pancakes and hot chocolate, because I know the little guy loves both and you need sustenance.” 

Regina hummed in approval. Before her pregnancy she wouldn’t even think about eating a stack of Granny’s pancakes because of the amount of sugar she usually added. But Emma was right, her little prince loved the sweet taste of Granny’s sugary pancakes and especially loved the hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

“It’s funny how, even without a familiar bond between us, this kid is already taking after me with his taste in food.” 

Regina huffed in amusement before she took the plate Emma offered. “Don’t worry, Miss Swan. The moment he can eat solids, I’ll make sure it’s going to be as healthy as can be.” 

Emma chuckled. “Spoilsport.”

—SQ—

“This is the opposite of a bed day, you know.” 

Regina smiled as she added something else to the basket she’d made Emma carry.

“You know I like a fresh meal at least once a day. You got two takeout meals today, let me have this.” She turned to Emma, and narrowed her eyes when Emma’s eyes traveled down right away. “My eyes are up here, Miss Swan.”

Emma looked up, her eyes dark with something. She smiled, and then gestured toward Regina’s belly. “You’re holding him again,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. 

Regina looked down at her belly to see that she was indeed holding it. She really needed to pay more attention to what she was doing. “Right,” she replied with a smile, before she moved again, her hand slowly rubbing circles on her belly. 

He had been very active today, and she wondered what had been so different about today. 

“At least you napped a lot today.” Emma followed her with a wicked smile, and bumped her shoulder. “You’ll have more energy for—”

Regina hummed and stopped Emma from finishing that sentence with a hand on her arm. “We’re at the only high end grocery store we have here, please don’t make me shop somewhere else because you couldn’t keep your mind out of the gutter.”

Emma chuckled before she backtracked. “I was just going to say you’d have more energy to cook this huge ass meal you’re planning. Did you invite Kat and Fred?”

Regina frowned. “Of course not. You’d have known if I had.” Things had changed drastically in the past four weeks. 

Emma _ would _have known, because Regina had somehow simply started asking Emma if she had any plans, if she planned on inviting friends. They were together, and that meant that Emma had just as much of a say in who came over. 

“Right. Because it looks to me that you plan on feeding at least two more, or maybe you plan on donating it to the orphanage?” 

“Okay, I simply like to have some leftovers so I can freeze a couple of portions. I’m preparing.” The hand on her belly stilled as the baby kicked and then resumed the movements. “You know, for when I can’t cook for us?” 

“Right, but that’s in two months.” 

“I might go into labor before my due date, or there might be complications and you’ll need to have something to fall back to.”

Emma stopped in her tracks, and placed a hand on Regina’s arm to stop her from moving on without her. “You should stop talking about complications and start thinking it’ll be fine.” 

Regina narrowed her eyes and shook her head with a soft smile. “I’m just trying to be prepared. I’m not thinking about complications all the time.” 

“No, just some of the time,” Emma murmured. Regina rolled her eyes and then pressed a kiss to Emma’s cheek, causing the blonde too flush.

“Don’t worry so much. He’s a healthy baby, and I’ll make sure that it stays that way until my due date. I’m just preparing for you, that’s all.” 

They moved through the store for a while longer, Regina adding everything she needed to the basket, with Emma following her. She never once complained, and Regina glanced at her more than once to try to figure her out.

Emma disliked talking about worst case scenarios. She didn’t _ want _to think about all the ways it could go wrong or how she might need to be prepared. It was surprising to Regina, mostly because Emma always seemed like she knew what she was doing.

“Oh, shit.” Emma paled, and Regina frowned before she followed Emma’s line of sight. She narrowed her eyes at the brunette that stood on the other side of the isle, and then turned back to Emma. “Shit, shit…”

“Do you know her?” She asked, and Emma nodded. Before she could say anything though, the brunette spotted them.

“Hey Em!”

Regina stepped aside just in time, because the brunette wrapped Emma up into one of the most awkward and uncomfortable hugs she’d ever seen. She almost chuckled at the irony of it, considering she had been raised with few displays of affection.

“Lily? What are you doing _ here? _” Emma asked as she pulled back, awkwardly holding onto the basket full of groceries. “I never thought I’d see you again after you disappeared.”

“I found my mom. She moved here when my dad kicked her out and we’ve been trying to reconnect,” Lily explained with a grin before she glanced Regina’s way. “What about you?” 

“I don’t know...I opened my own coffee shop like I always wanted.” Emma shrugged before she turned toward Regina with a smile. “I also found an amazing woman. Who knew sharing a cab could show you how to fall in love?” 

“Emma Swan, in love? Are you saying you’re finally over your issues?” Lily asked with a smirk, and Regina wondered for a brief second what kind of issues Emma might be having that she didn’t know about. 

“I don’t have issues.” Emma grimaced. “I mean, I’m working on them.” 

“I’m Regina Mills,” Regina stepped forward with outstretched hand, and flashed her best politician smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“I know who you are,” Lily murmured before she took the offered hand. “Lily Page.”

Regina narrowed her eyes before she let go of the hand in hers, and for the first time she was aware of how her hand moved toward her stomach, rubbing circles to calm herself.

“We should get going, darling. We have plans, remember?” Regina moved her freehand toward the small of Emma’s back, her smile turning into something a little more seductive. 

Emma jerked herself out of her thoughts, and cleared her throat. “Right.” 

“Don’t be a stranger, okay?” Lily said softly before she turned back to Regina, and looked at the way her hand moved over her stomach. “I believe congrats are in order too? You’ll be a great mom.”

Emma stuttered for a moment and Regina stepped back, her heart sinking. She knew exactly what Emma was struggling with and she knew what was coming even before Emma could think of the words to say.

“Oh...I’m not this kid’s other parent. I have no say in this.”

Lily grinned, and even though her emotions overwhelmed her, she could see the predatory quality to it. She turned and lifted the basket off of the ground. Her hands trembled as she struggled to get a tight and secure grip on the heavy basket, and she swallowed tears of rejection and frustration.

“Right. Your commitment is commendable...even with your issues.”

Regina clenched her jaw before she turned back to the brunette, ready to protect and defend Emma even when the blonde wasn’t. She tried to stop her hands from shaking, as she looked between Emma and Lily. “It was _ nice _meeting you, Miss Page.” 

Her heart shattered in her chest at the realization that Emma didn’t feel included in her ready made family, even though she’d tried to include her in every decision she made about the baby. The baby she talked to every day; the baby she’d vowed to protect just that morning.

Regina swallowed thickly against even more tears, and wondered if Emma was ready to take the responsibility of the tiny human she was growing inside of her. What would happen when Emma realized she was in too deep?

—SQ—

Something had changed between them, and the drive home was uncomfortably silent as Regina tried to figure out what it was. They made their way into the mansion and Emma helped her put everything away before she sat down at the breakfast bar.

Regina had already started on dinner, her sleeves pushed up over her elbows as she prepared everything she needed when she finally decided to just _ ask. _

“Do you not feel like you are involved enough in what happens with the baby, Emma?”

Emma stilled and narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean? Is this because of what I said to Lily?”

“Yes.” Regina moved and turned to look at Emma just a moment before she turned back around again. “You didn’t want her to think you’d be his other mother...Emma, you went out of your way to make sure she knew.”

“I didn’t think it would be that important,” Emma replied with a shrug, her eyes dark and a frown on her face. “It’s not like I’ll ever see her again.”

“She lives here, Emma, with her mother. You’re just about moved in...how would you avoid seeing her in a small, coastal town?” Regina gritted out. She wanted to show Emma her anger and frustration, but after months of dating, she _ knew _that would only make her pull away. Emma would disappear and Regina would have to find a way to coax her out again.

“Well, damn, I didn’t realize that staying here more often meant I’d moved in,” Emma snapped as she stood to her feet and started pacing the kitchen. She reminded Regina of a caged animal. 

Regina clenched her jaw and stayed silent for as long as she needed to compose herself. 

“We’ve been together for months Emma. I _ know _ I’ve asked you multiple times if this is _ really _what you want, because my son is going to have a huge part in your life if you decide you want to stay with me.”

“And I told you I accepted that. I want to be with you.” Emma snapped and Regina tensed. She turned around to face her, her vegetables forgotten. Pain rolled through her body when she realized that Emma was pulling back regardless of what she’d say. “I just...that doesn’t mean that I’m this kid’s parent, it means I’m your girlfriend.”

“I see.” 

“What? Regina, what did you expect? It’s not like I have a choice in this, I told you I never really wanted kids and here we are,” Emma threw up her hands before crossing her arms over her chest. “Did you expect me to want to be a mother to this kid because you’re pregnant? Did you actually think, because I wanted to date you, it meant I wanted to raise a baby with you?”

Regina breathed in sharply and wiped at her face angrily when a tear fell down her cheek. 

“No,” she shook her head as she swallowed thickly. “Of course I shouldn’t have expected that. I should have known the first time you told me you didn’t want kids. I should have _ known, _so the joke’s on me.” She laughed humorlessly. 

“What do you want from me, Regina?” 

Regina shook her head again and blinked hard to keep the tears at bay. “I want you to go home. You don’t have to come back. I need to know I can count on my partner when the need arises...and I can’t count on you.” 

It hurt more than she wanted to admit, and the way Emma stayed silent hurt even more. She dared a glance toward the blonde, and paled when she saw the pain written on her face. 

A pain that she felt too. 

“You can’t count on me? Haven’t I always been here for you, Regina?” 

“You have. I appreciate that, I really do. I just don’t think you’re ready to have this baby in your life. You’re going to walk the moment things get hard and I just...I can’t have that looming over me...over him.” 

Her heart broke at the sight of Emma’s pain, but the longer she spent with her, the more she loved her. She needed a clean break, especially to mend her broken heart. 

Emma swallowed thickly, and then inclined her head once before she made her way to the stairs in the foyer. Regina followed until the doorway, and watched her. 

“I’ll be out of your hair in no time.” Emma's voice sounded gravely and Regina wanted nothing more than to rush to her and hold her, but she couldn’t. 

She wanted to give Emma more than a chance to prove herself but she _ knew _ that Emma had issues. She’d just decided to ignore those issues because they were okay.

They’d been okay. 

A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away before she turned back into the kitchen and continued preparing her dinner. 

It took Emma about half an hour to pack everything she wanted to take with her. Regina had gotten most of the meal ready in the meantime.

“I’ll be out of your hair in a minute,” Emma called out before she opened the front door. 

Regina pursed her lips as her throat tightened, afraid Emma might leave without saying goodbye. She abandoned the food on the stove, and quickly made her way to the foyer. Emma turned just as Regina reached the door, and the smile on Emma’s face was plastic and hurt. 

“I’m—”

Emma shook her head and the smile left her face. “Don’t apologize for your feelings. I’ll be fine.” She cleared her throat, and Regina wondered if she would ever be fine again. Her eyes burned. When Emma opened her mouth, Regina could only hear the blood roaring in her own ears. 

“Do you have everything?” 

“I will ask Mary Margaret to pick up anything I’ve forgotten, but I think I’ve got it all,” Emma replied, not even bothered by the interruption. “Regina, I—”

“I know.”

The silence stretched until Emma shifted and nodded her head. “I’ll go.” 

Regina leaned against the door, her hands protectively covering her belly as if she could keep the pain from her son. He kicked her hand and she gasped. 

Emma wanted to turn back, Regina could see the way her step hitched, and then the way her shoulders squared. She never did turn back as she climbed into her car and drove off. 

She never did turn back as Regina closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She rubbed her hands over her stomach and swallowed thickly as the first tears slid down her cheeks. 

“It’s just you and me now, my little prince.”


	11. Chapter 11

At first, Regina felt like nothing had changed. 

She went to work on Monday like she always did, and had lunch with Kathryn like she did every Monday and Friday. They had started the tradition soon after Kathryn had told Regina about her pregnancy. 

Regina went home to cook for herself, like she usually did during the weekdays, because Emma would be back in Boston anyway.  _ Before _ Emma had practically moved in, they didn’t see each other during the week. They had stopped talking every day, but they usually texted throughout their days, and called every once in a while.

She missed the texts the most. The ‘good morning’ messages or the ‘good night’ messages had always made her heart soar even in their simplicity.

The first week had been easy, until the weekend started. She took the time to read, even though she couldn’t find a comfortable position with the baby pressing on her bladder. Every half hour, she had to take a bathroom break and it annoyed her.

She worked, which was easier than sitting at home doing nothing. She spent the first Sunday in her office at Town Hall, catching up on things she usually saved for last because she didn’t think it was important enough.

Once Kat found out, she made sure that Regina didn’t go into the office during the weekend. The second and then third week went by without any difficulties, but her weekends were empty.

“You need to take it easy, Regina,” Kat said, for what seemed like the millionth time, and Regina clenched her jaw and nodded her head. “You’re almost seven months pregnant and there is nothing that’s worse for you or the baby than to overdo it. Please...take it easy?”

The pain, even though it was more of an uncomfortable feeling in the beginning, started during the fourth week since she’d broken up with Emma. She’d been at work when her stomach cramped up and she grunted in surprise. She was in the middle of a meeting, and the person that sat in front of her had asked her if she was alright.

She’d smiled, and nodded through it as she gently rubbed her belly to calm herself and the baby.

It seemed like it was a one-off cramp and she forgot about it. She moved on with her day, forcing herself to finish all of her important and even the more unimportant paperwork.

It happened again the next day as she was settling for bed. It surprised her, but she simply breathed through it, and forced herself to try and sleep.

When it happened again, she tried to ignore it. She couldn’t be in labor, because it was too early and she had read that labor was more painful. It started to worry her when it kept happening throughout her day.

She was alone when the pain intensified. She whimpered, as she kicked the covers off and looked down at her belly. She didn’t know what to do, and as the pain got worse, she gasped. 

It was over as fast as it had started, but it left her short of breath and terrified of being in labor while she wasn’t due for another two months. She grabbed her phone to google early labor, and cried as she read. 

She called her OB clinic and explained her worries. She was able to come in the next morning, to her relief. It happened again, in the middle of the night. She had woken up from the pain and hadn’t been able to fall back asleep.

Julie, her latest OB, leaned against her desk and crossed her arms. They’d already ruled out early labor or active labor with an ultrasound. It had been an amazing surprise to be able to see her little prince again. 

She took a deep breath, and leaned back in her chair to look up at Julie. “Braxton Hicks contractions? I’m having fake contractions and I didn’t even know?” 

“Basically,” Julie said with a grin. “It’s your body’s way of practicing for the real thing, but there are several triggers. Very harmless, they don’t hurt the baby and are usually just...uncomfortable for the mother.” 

Regina wet her lips and wished she still had someone with her to go to these appointments. Emma would have calmed her down immensely by just her presence, and she’d know exactly what to ask to get to the bottom of a problem.

“What are these  _ triggers? _ ” 

She felt inadequate when her own voice didn’t seem to calm the baby anymore. It was as if he missed Emma as much as Regina did, and everything that  _ used  _ to help calm him down seemed to have lost its magic.

“I’m sure you’re very busy with work as mayor.” Julie shifted, and her smile softened as if she was trying to soften the blow. “You’re probably always in a rush, and sometimes forget to take care of your own needs before others. Dehydration is one of the biggest triggers in your case, that might cause these contractions. Stress might be another one.”

Regina swallowed thickly, her heart skipping a beat. Julie wasn’t wrong, because she kept herself busy ever since she’d kicked Emma out. She also forgot to take care of herself sometimes, and she forgot to drink a lot of the time she was at work.

She lost lots of sleep because she couldn’t stop her mind from going to Emma, even in her dreams. “What about sleep? I can’t...I can’t get comfortable anymore and it’s driving me up the wall.” 

“That’s part of pregnancy, but that doesn’t cause Braxton Hicks,” Julie said with a chuckle. There was a moment of silence, the smile fading from Julie’s face as she seemed to think of something. “What about a pregnancy pillow? Is Emma helping?”

Regina’s breath hitched and she bit the inside of her cheek. She winces when she tasted blood and swallowed before she shook her head. “Emma and I broke up.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as Julie widened her eyes in surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Regina murmured as she cleared her throat. “What can I do to make the contractions stop?”

Julie shook her head. “There’s not much you can do except take it easy. Work less, and spend more time relaxing and doing what you love. Read a book, get ready for that little boy and enjoy the time off you have now.” 

“That’s it? I’m supposed to cut back work and read a book?” She gritted as she tried her best to brush off the annoyance that bubbled up. She stopped rubbing a hand over her bump before she stood to her feet. She knew what the answer to her question would be.

“I’m sorry, Regina. There’s nothing I can do. This is your body telling you to take it easy, because you’re so close to your due date. You only have two months to go and you’re  _ still  _ overexerting yourself.”

Regina pursed her lips and breathed in deeply. “I think...I think I’d just hoped that there was something else I could do.” 

Julie narrowed her eyes. “You mean other than take it easy? Regina, I know it’s still hard to adjust to all the changes, and I know you  _ want  _ to keep going, but you just can’t.” She stepped forward, and somehow was able to calm Regina with just a hand on her arm and a soft smile on her face. “Are you doing okay with the break-up?” 

Regina shrugged, effectively cutting off the comfort as Julie’s hand slid off her arm. “I broke up with  _ her,  _ I’m fine.” 

Julie stepped back, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I’m sure you have more than enough people around you that are willing to help, that can take over some things you really shouldn’t do anymore.” 

Regina thought about Kathryn and even Mary Margaret and sighed. “I do...I really do have to cut back on work.”

“You do,” Julie agreed readily. “Take your leave and  _ enjoy  _ the last couple of months of your pregnancy. If there’s anything, if you’re worried of just want an extra check up, call the office. You know we’ll always make room for you.” She stepped back and opened the door before she turned back to Regina again with a smile.

Regina smiled back and stepped around Julie. “Thank you for being able to see me on such short notice.”

“Anytime, Regina. Have a great day.” 

Julie was the most direct OB Regina’d had, and she appreciated it more than soft hands and sweet words from the others in the clinic. She made her way to the car and pursed her lips when she realized it might be the last time she would be able to drive herself into the city.

Her phone buzzed when she got into the car and she narrowed her eyes as she took it out of her pocket.

A text from Kat was waiting for her— _ where are you? We were supposed to have lunch together _ —and Regina clenched her hands into fists and cursed herself for having forgotten about their ongoing lunch date.

She sent a quick text back— _ I’m sorry, I’m in the city for a last minute check up— _ and then quickly started the car.

She put her phone on silent and pulled away from the curb, enjoying the music while she drove through the city. She loved driving, and she would miss it when she couldn’t.

But not as much as she missed Emma.

She rolled her eyes when the first tears slipped down her face and she clenched her jaw as her stomach lurched. She knew she’d be fine, even as her heart was breaking.

—SQ—

By the time she drove over the town line, her stomach was growling and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Her eyes burned with the tears she  _ had  _ shed, and with the tears she hadn’t allowed herself to shed.

She missed Emma. She wished she was able to set aside her ego and call her, to ask her to come back so that they could talk about whatever was going on. She knew there was a way for them to fix what they’d broken.

She’d passed Emma’s apartment building as she’d driven through the city, and it had brought tears to her eyes that had been impossible to hold back. She had to force herself to drive on, even though she wanted to stop and see if Emma was home.

She parked her car near Granny’s and took a couple of deep breaths before she got out, and made her way toward the diner. She felt better, having gotten to her first order of business right after she’d gotten into town.

She should have rescheduled her lunch with Kat, because she knew she was always available for late lunches. She just hadn’t thought about it. She walked into the diner with her shoulders pulled back and a hand on her swollen belly, and found the booth in the back blissfully empty.

She sat down and leaned back, her bump pressing against the table, less room the move around than she had expected. She hadn’t been to the diner in a while.

“Can I get you anything?”

Regina startled when Ruby’s voice reached her through her thoughts and she looked up, already set on what she wanted. “I want a cheeseburger with extra pickles and mustard, a chocolate milkshake and fries on the side.” 

Ruby wrote it all down on her notepad, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She was  _ trained  _ not to comment on anything, and Regina wouldn’t appreciate her saying anything either.

“Are you sure you want to eat that many calories in one go, Madam Mayor?” a familiar voice asked and Ruby jumped, her cheeks flushed, before she hurried away from the table with a grin on her face. 

Regina rolled her eyes before she smiled up at her friend and gestured for her to sit. “I had an appointment in the city and forgot that I had to eat. I’m fine, Mary Margaret,” she added when she saw the worry written on her face. 

Mary Margaret smiled as she settled down. She was always the one person Regina could go to with her worries and nerves, and today was no different. She needed someone to talk to about what was going on, and she didn’t want to worry Kathryn about anything pregnancy related. She didn’t want to give her pregnant friend a panic attack while talking about the fake contractions and how much they could hurt.

“What was the appointment for?” Mary Margaret asked as she reached for the menu.

“I was...I had some pains and I didn’t know what was happening, so I went in. They were Braxton Hicks contractions.” 

Mary Margaret hummed with a nod of her head. “I remember having those too. It’s nothing dangerous, just uncomfortable. It’s just your body getting ready for labor.”

“That’s what my OB told me too. He’s happy and healthy and very active,” Regina said with a smile as she rubbed her belly and he kicked. When she looked back up at her friend she saw something that surprised her. “What’s wrong, why are you crying?” 

Mary Margaret took a moment, wiping her eyes before she chuckled. “You look so much like a mother already. You’re going to be so great with him, and I can’t wait to see you hold him and take care of him.” 

Regina bit her lip as emotions flooded her. “Thank you. I can’t imagine...I just hope that I won’t be like my mother.” She was already a single mother, she didn’t want to be a heartless one too. She worried about that, especially after the way she’d kicked out Emma.

“You’ll  _ never  _ be like your mother. You have too much love to give and this little boy is going to be spoiled rotten by you, but also by Kat and me and everyone else that loves you.”

Regina nodded her head in response, even when she wasn’t sure if she should believe Mary Margaret. 

The conversation shifted from pregnancy to food when Ruby came and brought their food, and Regina didn’t hesitate to dig in. Her stomach rumbled in appreciation. Every aspect of it was exactly as she had imagined and she moaned as she bit into the burger.

They ate in silence for a bit, and Regina noticed the way Mary Margaret kept staring at her and even opening her mouth to say something, but she never did and Regina was grateful for the break in conversation.

It was short lived, though. “Have you heard from Emma?” 

Regina leaned back, her appetite gone at the mention of Emma. “I’m sure you know we broke up...why would I have heard from her?”

Mary Margaret shrugged and pushed away her plate. “I just thought she would try and contact you. She told me she misses you.” 

Regina bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying out and she shook her head with a sigh. “Listen, I don’t want to talk about Emma or how she feels. We broke up, and that’s it.”

“Why did you even break up?” Mary Margaret asked, stubbornly ignoring Regina. “She was all in, she kept talking about you and the baby as if you guys were already married.”

“Emma wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility, Mary Margaret. She told her  _ ex  _ that she didn’t have a say in anything and she told  _ me  _ that she never really wanted kids to begin with. What am I to believe? That she doesn’t mean what she says?” 

“You know she never really had a mother, right? Because the mothers that took her in were only in it for the money,” Mary Margaret murmured and Regina swallowed thickly. 

She didn’t want to think about Emma, or be confronted with her past, because it had nothing to do with any of their issues. Or had it?

“She never talked to me about anything, Mary Margaret. She never opened up, except to say that she had a crappy childhood.” Regina breathed in deeply when the baby kicked hard, and she pushed back the tears when she realized that Emma still hadn’t trusted her enough. “I can’t...I don’t want to do this.” 

She scooted out of the booth and stood to her feet, her belly bumping into the table.

“She talks about you all the time. She asks how you’re doing at least once a day, how the baby is doing...if you’re taking care of yourself. And every time I have to tell her that I don’t even know because you’ve been pushing everyone away,” Mary Margaret said through gritted teeth. “When will you see that she  _ was  _ ready to stay, she just felt cornered?”

“When she can go back and change the things she said!” Regina exclaimed, her heart thudding loudly and painfully in her chest. “I can’t trust that she wanted to stay because she  _ told  _ me she didn’t.”

“She asks about you all the time—how you’re doing, if the baby is growing well enough, if you’re taking care of yourself. And every time I have to tell her I don’t know because you’ve been pushing everyone away,” Mary Margaret argued. “When will you see that she may have been wrong in saying what she said, but she  _ was _ ready because she wanted to stay?”

She pulled her purse toward her and grunted when she saw that Mary Margaret was gearing up to say more. 

“She loves you, you know? She told me she wanted to take back everything she said even though she knows she can’t. I just know she loves and misses you.” Regina closed her eyes at the softness in Mary Margaret’s voice and wave of tears burned in her eyes.

She took a deep breath before she opened them again and moved toward Mary Margaret. “I miss her too,” she murmured. Because she  _ did  _ miss Emma and everything about her. She  _ did  _ want her around because of the safe and loving energy that always seemed to surround them when they were together. “But that’s just not enough.” 

“But—”

“No, please,” Regina swallowed past the lump in her throat and shook her head. “Please just let this go, because nothing will change. I’ll still be alone and I still have to be strong enough to raise a baby alone. And I know I got into this thinking and expecting that I could, but I don’t think I can do it alone anymore.” 

She breathed past the lump in her throat and her eyes burned again, as she turned away from Mary Margaret.

But her friend didn’t let up. “Of course you can. I know for a fact that you’re strong enough even if you’re alone. You’re stronger than  _ anyone _ I know and I admire you so much for that.”

“I have to go,” Regina murmured before she could stop herself, and a tear rolled down her cheek. She placed a bill on the table and wiped at her cheek before she turned back to Mary Margaret. “Please, don’t push me to stay, or to talk to Emma, or to do  _ anything _ . I just want—” she stopped herself when her belly tightened and she gritted her teeth as she leaned against the booth. The tightening became painful, and she whimpered before she could stop herself. 

Mary Margaret gasped in surprise, and then stood to her feet. “Regina, you have to breathe.” Regina started when she felt a hand on her back. “You’re okay, it’s okay.” 

Regina sobbed, her chest tight and her head light as she tried, but failed to breathe. It wasn’t because of the Braxton Hicks, it was because she didn’t know how to breathe without Emma anymore. She needed her like she needed air, but Emma wasn’t ready. No matter how hard Mary Margaret tried to convince her otherwise, Regina knew. 

“I...I can’t,” she gasped. 

“You can and you will.” The stern undertone in Mary Margaret’s voice got Regina to take a breath, and then again. “That’s it, now keep going. In...and out.” 

Mary Margaret guided her through the breathing and the pain and slowly but surely, Regina could feel the tightening in her belly lessen, and she was able to breathe in a little more deeply. She took a couple of deep breaths and closed her eyes in relief when she stopped feeling as if she might faint. 

When finally, the pain faded, she leaned back into the hand on her back and breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t  _ want  _ to admit that she might need someone to help her, and she didn’t  _ want  _ to ask for help, but she knew she needed to take that first step. 

“Thank you,” she whispered, her throat still tight with tears. “It’s going to be okay, right? I’ll be okay?”

“Of course you will be, Regina. You’ll have me, and Kat. And everyone else that loves you,” Mary Margaret replied with a soft smile as she held onto Regina’s arm for a moment longer. “Do you want me to drive you home? You should start thinking about asking for someone to drive you...I can help with whatever you need.” 

Regina smiled and sniffed before she nodded her head. “I’d appreciate that, thank you. And thank you for helping...you know, calm me down.” 

“Anytime, Regina. That’s what friends are for.”


	12. Chapter 12

She never expected to make it through another month without Emma, but she’d gotten used to being alone again. Even though she was hardly  _ alone  _ lately, because her friends had taken it upon themselves to always be around.

Kathryn and Mary Margaret alternated nights, because apparently being thirty six weeks pregnant meant she couldn’t be alone, and when neither could make it, Regina felt lonelier than she ever had before. 

She’d gotten into the habit of doing laundry every day, washing everything she bought for the baby. She had a bag packed for the hospital and had already put it in her car, feeling like that was the best place for it. 

She had another bag near the door, just in case they wouldn’t take her car to the hospital. 

She pressed a hand against the ache in her back as she made another cup of tea, and sighed. Her days were filled with making sure everything was ready, and reading every possible baby book she could get her hands on. She wanted to be the best she could be and that meant making sure she knew everything there was to know.

So far she’d read ten books in between her countless naps, and had started ordering take out because she hardly ever felt like cooking anymore. There was more than enough in the fridge for after the baby was born. She could heat up and enjoy a full and healthy meal every day for a week. 

The water boiled and Regina mindlessly poured it into her mug. She had gotten used to drinking decaffeinated drinks, but she still couldn’t wait to have her first cup of coffee after seven months.

Just as she lowered a tea bag into her mug, her phone buzzed and she sighed. There was a text from Kat— _ how’s your morning going? I’ll pick you up for lunch in about two hours— _ and Regina rolled her eyes. She had not gotten used to never having a moment to herself, ever since Mary Margaret had seen her in pain.

She sent a quick text back— _ I’ll be here— _ before she put her phone back down. 

With Kat being twenty four weeks pregnant, Regina was careful to show any discomfort she was feeling. She didn’t want to  _ shelter  _ her friend but she didn’t think Kat needed to be afraid of the end of a pregnancy.

Regina clenched her jaw when her back spasmed, and pressed her hand against the muscle. She took a sip of her tea, hissed when the burning water hit her tongue, and tried to refocus on her book. She had a hard time concentrating on anything for longer than a couple of minutes.

She had  _ just  _ settled, with a hand pressed permanently against her back, when the doorbell rang. She grunted, and got up to waddle toward the door. The baby had settled down low and she could hardly walk comfortably, but at least she wasn’t in any pain yet.

She opened her door and narrowed her eyes when she noticed a delivery bus right in front of the mansion, and then turned toward the delivery man. He looked like he was in a rush, as he held out a clipboard. “If you could take this and sign, I’ll go get the package.” 

Regina thoughtlessly took the clipboard and looked at it, but when she saw the name of the store that Emma had taken her to, the one where she’d found the stroller of her dreams but had left with a couple of books, she looked back up. “Wait!” 

The delivery man had already disappeared out of sight and she grunted in frustration as she looked back down, read through the form and then signed it. She didn’t  _ remember  _ ordering anything, at least not recently, but with the way she’d been forgetting even the most routine things, she couldn’t say for sure that she  _ hadn’t  _ ordered anything.

She looked back up again when she’d sighed and forced herself to be patient as she watched the truck move. He returned, and Regina leaned forward with her heart beating in her throat. 

“There’s got to be a mistake,” she murmured as she stepped forward, her cheeks flushed with heat. She breathed in sharply as he gave the stroller another push, her throat tightening with tears. “I didn’t order a stroller.” 

He held out his hand and took the clipboard from her, his eyes narrowed. “This is Mifflin Street, Storybrooke?”

“I didn’t order a stroller,” Regina said again, her temper flaring up with more than enough ease. “I don’t understand.”

“Listen, it’s been paid for and all I know is the address I had to deliver it to,” he said as he stepped back and pressed the clipboard to his chest. “Delivery for Miss E. Swan.”

Regina gasped, and then blinked when tears threatened to spill. She didn’t even know how or when Emma had gotten her a stroller, and all she wanted to do was call her to ask her, or even just to thank her.

She cleared her throat and wiped at her eyes, not surprised to feel the wetness under them. “Thank you.” She rubbed a hand over her belly when the baby kicked. He still wasn’t as easily soothed without Emma there to talk to him.

“Would you like me to get it inside?” 

Regina hummed, and then stepped aside for him to push the stroller inside. He parked it in the middle of the foyer before he walked back out. Regina cleared her throat to get his attention, and he turned to look at her questioningly. 

“When was it ordered?”

“I don’t know, ma’am. What I know is that the store got really busy with orders, so it took them a while to get back on track. I don’t know why it’s taken so long, though, you should ask them.” 

She had more than enough questions, but she watched him as he went back to his truck and sighed. She  _ knew  _ he wouldn’t have the answers to her questions. 

Why did Emma buy the stroller? Regina hadn’t even thought about one ever since they had seen the one that was now displayed proudly in her foyer. She turned and stepped inside before she closed the door and stared at the stroller. 

It was beautiful, dark greys and black alternating each other. She had fallen in love with it at first sight and she was proud to say that the baby would have the best of the best. 

She held a hand pressed to her belly as she walked around the stroller and smiled when she saw everything, including a cup holder and even a diaper bag, was set up and ready to go.

She swallowed hard when the first tear slipped down her cheek, and she cleared her throat again. There was nothing indicating how Emma had managed to buy the stroller without her knowledge.

The memory of Emma, leaning over the counter and whispering with the saleswoman that Regina had deemed annoying, flashed before her eyes and Regina narrowed her eyes. Had Emma bought it back then, or had she gone back to finalize the sale?

Regina sighed and wiped at her cheeks, not surprised that they had gathered more tears. 

She wanted to thank Emma, to let her know it was appreciated. She ran a gentle hand over the stroller and smiled before she made her way back to the kitchen, where she’d left her phone.

Emma was still in her favorites, and for a moment her finger hovered over Emma’s name, doubt filling her. Would Emma pick up the phone if she knew it was Regina? She clenched her jaw and decided to take the risk.

She waited longer than she normally would, until there was a click and a beep and the line went dead. She tried again and got the same result, not even a voicemail. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying, but they slipped down her cheeks regardless of how much she wanted to keep them inside.

But then her phone buzzed in her hand, and she almost dropped it in her haste to answer it, even as her heart soared with hope.

“Emma?” she husked, a smile on her face.

“No…I’m sorry to disappoint...but I’m out front and I’m sure there’s much you have to tell me.” Kat’s voice was soft and gentle and it brought even more tears to Regina’s eyes.

She cleared her throat as she inwardly cursed her hormones, and sighed. “I’ll be right out.”

—SQ—

By the time she had settled into the car, almost half an hour had passed and Kat looked about ready to start tearing Regina a new one. 

“I’m sorry--” Regina started, but Kat made a sound deep in her throat and Regina stopped, and clenched her jaw to stop herself from finishing her apology. 

There was a moment of loaded silence, until Kat cleared her throat.

“We’ve been having lunch every Friday, and I don’t recall you telling me you’d be late. I even called you this morning...hell, you even said you’d be right out when I called to tell you I was here,” she snapped and then took a deep breath before she glanced toward Regina. “What the  _ fuck  _ happened between the last time we spoke and now, that had you showing such  _ total  _ disregard for our plans?”

“I received a package today.” Regina watched as Kat worked her hardest to pull her anger back in, her breathing hard and labored.

“What?” 

“It turns out Emma got me a stroller...she got me the stroller I wanted,” Regina murmured as her throat closed up again at the thought. 

“Emma? But you guys haven’t talked in two months,” Kat frowned as she parked the car in front of Granny’s. “Why would she get you one now?” 

Regina shrugged. “I think she got it for me the day we found out that I was having a boy.” 

Kat stayed silent, and then got out of the car. Regina sighed before she pulled herself up, silently hating on Kat’s low car. She didn’t want to think about her own car, which was low too. She had to struggle to get out of the car, now more than ever, and it frustrated her. 

They settled down at the only table that was in the back, since they didn’t fit into a booth anymore. Especially Regina, with the way her belly had grown. They had settled for the table that was usually used by the staff, and that meant that they had to make sure they wouldn’t be in the way.

Granny had shushed them, and had told them that there were more than enough tables for the staff to have their break. They weren’t allowed to worry about it, and so they wouldn’t.

Usually, they picked another restaurant on Mondays, because they used their lunch break to talk over some of the more pressing matters at hand and it was usually work related. Fridays, however, were more casual and they usually went to Granny’s for lunch.

“I hope you don’t mind that I’ve invited Mary Margaret. She’ll be here soon,” Kat said, annoyance still very clear. Before Regina could say anything about that turn of events, Kat cleared her throat and reached over the table to grab Regina’s hand. “Emma got you a stroller?”

Regina clenched her teeth when her eyes started burning, and she nodded her head. She wasn’t sure what Kat wanted with this conversation, especially when Mary Margaret joined them. Any conversation with the two of them had a clear direction and Regina wasn’t sure if she liked that.

“We went shopping when we found out the gender, and she took me to a couple of stores just...just because she could. We got to this one store that sold strollers, and I showed her this stroller,” Regina explained as she looked down at their linked hands. “I had fallen in love with it and I just wanted to show her.” 

“Okay, what happened?” 

“Nothing, really. I got annoyed because the moment we stepped into the store, this annoying saleswoman followed us and I left Emma to deal with her while I walked around the store.”

Kat breathed in deeply. “But she bought it back then? How do you know?” There was something in her voice that Regina hadn’t heard before. Kat had been behind Regina’s decision about Emma ever since she knew what had happened. She’d believed that Emma wasn’t ready to become a mother yet. 

Somehow, Regina knew that her friend was having second thoughts, and she had to admit that she wasn’t so sure about it anymore either. She just didn’t want to make any more rash and impulsive decisions.

“I remember her leaning over the counter, writing on a piece of paper. And...the delivery guy actually told me it was an order from Miss E. Swan...so it has to be from her.”

“Do you think she got some kind of payment plan back then?”

“Oh, she told me about that,” Mary Margaret said as she settled beside Regina. 

Even thinking about Emma made Regina want to curl up in a ball and cry, but she cleared her throat even as her eyes burned and she turned to Mary Margaret. “She told you about the stroller?” she asked, her anger somehow growing over her sadness.

Mary Margaret had kept pushing her to talk to Emma because she had changed, but she’d never told Regina about a stroller or what was happening in Emma’s life that made her so sure she was changing.

“Yes...she told me when you guys got back from that appointment. She was so excited, she wanted to get everything ready for you right away.” She glanced at Regina and blinked at the clear anger on her face, while Regina gritted her teeth. “What’s wrong?” 

“The stroller got delivered today,” Kat answered before Regina could tear into Mary Margaret. 

“That’s amazing,” Mary Margaret said with a bright smile. Regina huffed in annoyance, and wanted to leave the table, but she knew that the conversation wouldn’t be over if she did. “I wonder what took them so long, she said she’d paid the last of it after she left.”

“Regina,” Kat murmured as she squeezed her hand. “Do you know what that means?” 

“No,” Regina replied sternly, forcing herself to remain realistic in the face of all that hope showing on Kathryn’s face. “It could mean anything.”

“I told you she was with you all the way,” Mary Margaret replied with a shake of her head. “I’ve been telling you that she wanted to be with you, but you wouldn’t listen.” 

Regina gritted her teeth. “What did you expect? She told me she didn’t want to be a mother, so I gave her a way out! Why is everything  _ changing _ all of a sudden?” She pushed away from the table and pressed her shaking hands against her belly. 

Kat leaned back and rubbed her own belly. It was still a strange sight to see Kathryn pregnant, even though Regina was still very happy for her friend. Even through her anger, she loved to see the happiness on Kat’s face. 

“Regina, I think you have to think about what Mary Margaret is saying...Emma probably did say all of those things because she felt cornered...you did say she had her issues with commitment, right?”

Regina recoiled, her heart beating painfully against her ribs. “So now it’s my fault? That’s rich...Emma was very clear that she didn’t want to have anything to do with the raising of  _ my  _ son...and that’s  _ my  _ fault?” 

Her body felt tense as she moved, her hands still pressed to her stomach.

“Regina.” 

“I’d like to go home, Kathryn. I’m not feeling so well at the moment.” 

The two women still seated glanced at each other, and Regina clenched her jaw. She wished she could still drive herself without having to break up this lunch, but her OB told her it was safer not to drive anymore. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea either with her Braxton Hicks and how they caught her off guard most of the time.

Kathryn nodded her head with a sigh and stood to her feet. “I’ll drive you home.” 

—SQ—

Whenever the conversation moved to Emma in the following weeks, Regina would mentally check out. She didn’t want to think about Emma, even though she couldn’t stop thinking about the stroller and its implications. 

She’d called the store, and found out that Emma had indeed bought the stroller with a payment plan, and when she’d gone online to check what it had cost Emma, she was shocked. The stroller had cost more than the entire nursery combined.

She researched thoroughly, to find out  _ what  _ had caused the stroller to be over two thousand dollars. Was it the cup holder?

Before she gave birth, she planned one last lunch with Kathryn, and made sure that she would come alone. She loved Mary Margaret, but she needed a little space from the woman and her incessant hope speeches. She was getting closer to her due date, and her temper was easily flared. She needed peace and quiet even if all she could think about was Emma.

Maybe her friends had been right and Emma had been more invested than she’d let on. 

“When was the last time you slept through the night?” 

Regina startled, and blinked herself out of her thoughts at the sound of Kathryn’s voice. 

Kat was leaning against the doorway, a smile on her face and Regina stood to her feet. “I didn’t even hear you come in.” 

“I know...I’ve been watching you for a couple of minutes. You haven’t even moved,” Kat replied, the smile slowly fading. 

“I can’t really get comfortable with this huge belly anymore,” Regina said as she rubbed her swollen stomach. “I’ve also been having these weird, vivid dreams. I’m...I’m sure it’ll all be fine.” 

“You look dead on your feet.” Kat moved closer and took a breath. Regina watched her for a moment, and sighed when she realized that her friend was ready to ask her something, and she knew she wouldn’t like it. “Have you talked to Emma yet?”

“No, she’s not answering my calls or returning any of them.” 

Regina had only called a couple of times in the past week. She wanted to thank Emma and hear her voice, she wanted to apologize and talk, but she didn’t know how she could get Emma to answer her calls. 

“Do you...do you think if you’d be able to see her, you’d be able to talk?” 

“Of course, if she’s open to it. I think she’s made it clear though, Kat, that she doesn’t want to talk to me. She would’ve returned my calls by now.”  _ It’s been two weeks _ .

“I have something I need to do in the city,” Kat started, a grin on her face. Regina pushed away from the counter and shook her head. “Would you like to join me? We can take your car, or mine.” 

“Kat—”

“Maybe you just need to take a leap of faith, Regina. You  _ do  _ want to try and talk to Emma, right?” 

Regina wet her lips and narrowed her eyes at her best friend as she thought. She  _ did  _ want to talk to Emma, because there was so much that seemed so much clearer now that she had more than enough time to think about it. 

She wanted Emma in her life. She  _ needed _ Emma in her life and she needed to do something about it. She needed to make sure that Emma knew that the door was still open for her, even after two and a half months.

“Yes...yes I do.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the idea of seeing Emma again and her chest tightened. 

Kat grinned again and lifted the hospital bag. “Let’s go then.” 

“Kat...you planned this?” Regina was surprised at the well thought out plan. They’d been in the car for a while, and had already left town before Kat decided to share.

“I have my OB appointment today, and I remember you said Emma lived pretty close to the clinic. So...I’ll drop you off and you can call me when you need me to pick you up.”

“What if she’s not home?” Regina murmured in question before another thought popped up, and she widened her eyes as she turned to Kat. Her stomach clenched and she pressed her hand against it, anxiety rising. “What if she doesn’t  _ want  _ to talk?” 

Something in Kat’s face changed and Regina was about to ask her what she knew, when Kat shook her head. “She’ll want to talk, if I can believe Mary Margaret. She’d been asking about you and the baby, even more so lately because you’re so close to your due date.” 

“Do you think we can talk things through? Do you think we can get back what we had?” 

Regina could feel the way her chest tightened as hope flared up, and she breathed in sharply before she turned to Kat to look at her.

“I think when we get home from Boston, everything will have changed.”


	13. Chapter 13

Regina clenched her jaw, and tried her best to relax as she stood in front of Emma’s door. Her hands were shaking, and she pushed them against her sides as she glanced around the hallway.

One of the elderly ladies in the building had opened the door for her, thinking she was her granddaughter. She would have felt guilty, but she didn’t have room for any other emotion other than the ones focused on Emma.

If the woman hadn’t opened the door, she would have had to risk being rejected at the door, and she was simply grateful that she didn’t have to go through that. If Emma was even home.

Kathryn had been  _ sure  _ that Emma was home, because according to Mary Margaret, Emma had been talking about taking a couple of days off after a busy couple of weeks at the coffee shop. 

Regina took another deep breath, and shivered with all the emotions that were running through her before she lifted her fist and knocked on the door.

Her hands started shaking even more and she pushed them against her belly, her stomach lurching as the baby kicked. She breathed in deeply, even though the silence seemed to be pressing down on her, and slowly exhaled. It didn’t seem to help her nerves.

It only seemed to make them worse, and her belly tightened against her will. She could  _ not  _ have one of her fake contractions just as she was about to find out if Emma was open to talking.

There was a sound behind the door, and she quickly turned back toward it and held her breath, her mouth suddenly dry. When the door opened, and Emma frowned at her in confusion, Regina’s vision blurred and she swayed on the spot.

She blinked, and then again to clear her vision, one lone tear slipping down her cheek at the sight of Emma, healthy and pink cheeks. She reached out to steady Regina, and breathed in deeply.

“Regina...what are you doing here?” 

“I...I wanted to talk to you,” Regina replied, her voice soft as she looked at Emma sharply. She looked  _ amazing _ , as if the time apart had done her more than good. Regina wondered if reaching out and surprising Emma was the right thing to do for either of them, especially when she realized that the tightening in her belly was back. “You look amazing.” 

Emma smiled softly. “That’s what you came here to tell me?” she reached out again when Regina swayed again, and led her into the apartment, toward the couch, and even helped her settle down. She kneeled in front of Regina, and the smile was back, her eyes moving toward her swollen belly before she looked back up at Regina. “Seems like a waste of gas if you ask me.” 

“I’m sorry,” Regina whimpered as she rubbed her belly. During the ride over, she’d prepared a speech and had been sure that she’d be able to get the words out. But here she was, speechless and uncertain in a way that she’d never found herself before. 

Emma breathed in deeply, but instead of responding, she let her eyes roam over Regina’s face. “Would you like a glass of water? You look pale.”

Regina nodded, clenching her jaw as she could feel the beginning of a migraine building behind her eyes. What if Emma didn’t want to try anymore? She seemed so calm and collected, while Regina was anything  _ but. _

When Emma returned with two glasses of water, Regina smiled before she took a sip, her mind running a mile a minute to find something to say before she made an ass of herself.

“The stroller was delivered two weeks ago. I didn’t...I didn’t even know you’d bought it.”

Emma’s smile brightened before she set down her glass. “I’m so glad it got there on time, I was worried I’d have to go to the store and file a complaint.” 

“I...I don’t know if I can accept a gift like that if you’re not going to be there to make use of it too...it’s too much,” Regina said, her heart skipping a beat. She didn’t know if this was the right way to start a conversation that would change everything once again.

“I was actually planning on being there to make use of it when I entered the contract, but I had to stick my foot in my mouth and say the most awful and hurtful things to push you away,” Emma said, before she stood and then sat down next to Regina. “I’ve been working on that, though…”

Regina narrowed her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief over what she was hearing. She leaned back against the couch, and turned toward Emma. “What?” 

“I’ve been talking to someone. After our break-up, I was angry but I knew what you said was true. I  _ wasn’t  _ ready to become a mother, and I was doing everything in my power to keep myself from being more involved.” Emma smiled again, and then grabbed her glass of water and sipped.

“But you got the stroller?” 

“It was...I acted on impulse, but yes. I did get you the stroller because  _ you  _ loved it so much...that doesn’t mean that I was ready to become a mother.” 

“You sound like...would you be ready  _ now? _ ” Regina asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer, but she  _ had  _ to ask.

“I...I don’t know, Regina,” Emma answered honestly, and then put her glass back down on the table and reached out for Regina’s hand, still pressed against her stomach. “I would love to try, though. I still have to work on my issues and I might still be an ass from time to time, but damn...I would love to try.”

Regina struggled to get herself up from the couch, but ignored Emma as she stood and made her way over to the window, even when she saw the way Emma was looking at her expectantly. Her mind was a mess, and she knew she needed a moment to straighten out all the information.

Emma had been seeing someone who could help her through her issues, and somehow, there was only one thing Regina could think about as her back twinged, and she turned toward Emma.

“You never called me back.” 

“You mean a couple of weeks ago?” Emma asked, and then stood to her feet and handed Regina her glass of water again. “I actually wanted to call you, but one of my barista’s quit and I had to fill in the gaps of time, besides doing the books and everything else that I already did.” 

“So...there really was no time to call me?” Regina asked, her breathing a little shallow, her back aching even more now that she realized how tense she was.

“No. Regina, I promise you, if I’d had the time, I would have called you back without a second thought. But...this is actually my first day off in a month. I haven’t even had much time to go to therapy.”

Regina turned back toward the window and wet her lips. She knew she shouldn’t feel like Emma had forgotten her, she’d broken up with Emma and hadn’t called her for two months, not the other way around.

There had been nothing that had indicated that Emma even wanted to give it another shot, and even now she didn’t want to get her hopes up. She opened her mouth to speak, but grunted out when there was a sudden, and excruciating pain in her belly. 

She doubled over, gasping for air as she pressed her hands to her belly and shut her eyes tightly. She gasped again, her lungs seemingly not accepting the small amount of oxygen. 

“Regina?” Emma stepped forward just in time to hold her up as she stumbled. “What’s happening? Where does it hurt?”

Regina shook her head, gasping for breath, and reached out for Emma’s hand. When she felt their fingers intertwine, she squeezed as pain overwhelmed her and terrified her. 

It faded just as suddenly as it had flared up, and Regina inhaled sharply, grateful for the ability to breathe normally again. Her hands shook against her belly with the emotional upheaval the pain had brought with it. 

“That didn’t feel like a Braxton Hicks contraction.” 

“It didn’t look like one...you’re not due for another two weeks though, right?” Emma asked softly as she led Regina toward the couch. “I think it might be a good idea to call your OB...or I could drive you to the hospital.”

Before Regina could answer, something warm trickled down her legs and she whimpered as her face flushed red. “I-I think...I think my water just broke.”

“Are you sure?” Emma asked, her eyes wide.

Regina nodded her head as she looked down at her belly. “Either that or I peed my pants.” 

—SQ—

It all happened too fast. Regina whimpered and panted for breath as a second and a third contraction followed each other up faster than she’d ever imagined.

There’d been no pain, not during the day or night, and she knew it was too sudden. 

“I don’t think we have time to call anyone,” Emma said softly, letting Regina hold on to her hand even though Regina knew she was hurting her. “I think it’s time we get you to the hospital.” 

“Do you think we can make it?” 

Regina leaned heavily on Emma as she was being led to the car. Between Emma’s apartment and the car she had two more contractions, and with Emma’s help, she breathed through them with more ease than the first couple. It went too fast, though. 

She could feel her pants sticking to her legs and she gritted her teeth before she thought of something and she stopped, surprising Emma. “What is it?”

“Do you have a towel? I don’t want to sit in your car like this...it’ll ruin the seat,” Regina replied, and Emma rolled her eyes. “Please?” 

Emma pursed her lips and helped Regina lean up against the car while she rushed to the trunk and took out a blanket. She hurriedly placed it over the seat and gestured for Regina to sit down. “Now sit...because if I’m timing correctly, we have to hurry.” 

Emma helped her settle and then sprinted around the car. She didn’t even bother with her seatbelt as she jumped into her seat and started the car. She pushed through traffic as if she’d practiced this a million times, and made her way toward the hospital. 

Regina panted through another contraction, and Emma glanced at her before she held out her hand. Regina latched on as if it were a lifeline before the contraction faded again, and she felt a tear slip down her face. 

“I’m afraid we might not make it to the hospital in time,” she murmured, slightly out of breath, and Emma grunted as she maneuvred them through Boston traffic.

“We’ll make it. I promise you…”

The contractions were every two minutes, and Regina wondered if she would even have enough time to settle into a room before she had to push. She shook her head, forcing herself to let go of the questions as she breathed through the calm moments. 

Emma got her there on time, even as the contractions had started following each other up faster and they had started to last longer. Everything was going too fast and Regina had a hard time keeping up, beads of sweat dripping down her face. 

Emma seemed much calmer, and Regina knew she needed to try and calm down too. She had read somewhere that panic and stress only worsened the pain. 

The moment that Emma stopped the car in front of the hospital, she breathed in deeply. 

“I’ll get someone to come get you, okay? Wait here.” 

“Emma...we’re not allowed to park here, it’s not a movie,” Regina gritted when the pain finally let up enough for her to be able to talk, even though she could hardly breathe in enough air to form the words. “And where would I even  _ go? _ ”

Emma grinned and then slammed the car door behind her as she hurried toward the hospital. Regina winced, and then leaned back as she tried to catch her breath between the fast oncoming contractions. The quiet calmed her if even a little, but the fact that it was happening so fast made her want to scream.

The doctors had  _ told  _ her she wouldn’t go into early labor because everything was  _ fine. _

Her OB had explicitly said she might even go  _ over  _ her due date, but that it was nothing to worry about. They had also made it clear that labor and delivery might take longer than she had expected because first babies always took their time coming out.

She hunched over and grunted when another contraction hit and pulled her out of her thoughts, and she forced herself to breathe. It was a lot harder without Emma there to guide her. 

The car door opened unexpectedly, and Regina startled. Her face contorted with the pain of the contraction that ripped through her, and she closed her eyes tightly. 

“The nurses said to bring you in right away...something about rapid onset labor,” Emma sounded farther away than Regina had expected, and she opened her eyes to see Emma standing behind a wheelchair. 

She grunted and shook her head as her body shook with pain. “Wait...give me...a moment..” It was hard to speak through the pain, but Emma was aware of what was happening and she pulled the wheelchair back quickly, kneeling down beside the car.

With her hands, she guided Regina slowly, and with her voice she calmed her down. If Emma was nervous, she didn’t show it and when the contraction faded, Emma stood with a smile. “Come on, let’s go welcome this little nugget into the world.”

—SQ—

Emma didn’t leave her side and Regina was more than grateful for it. Even with everything happening, even while in labor, Regina realized the amount of love she had for Emma, and she almost blurted it out during one of her contractions.

The urge to bear down came faster than even the gynecologist had expected and Regina panicked when she saw the surprise on the woman’s face. 

“Nothing to worry about, Miss Mills. It’s just faster than we expected.” She gestured to the nurses that flitted around them, getting everything ready and sterilized as best as they could. “Normally we’d go to the birthing suite where we have everything prepared, but you’re ready to push.” 

“What? I only just went into labor an hour ago!” Regina panted through the pain. 

The gynecologist hummed as she snapped on gloves. “It’s not very common with a first but sometimes labor happens faster than you’d expect. They call it rapid labor and it just means you get to hold your baby sooner than expected. You’re lucky you could still get here on time.” 

Regina was about to reply when another contraction washed over her and she was told to push. Things happened faster than Regina had even expected and the lack of control over anything was hard to accept. Somehow, she had looked forward to easing into active labor and taking the time to get everything ready. 

She hadn’t even called Kat, which was something she shouldn’t even be thinking about during her breaks between contractions. 

“Emma, what about Kat?” she gasped out after a heavy contraction.

Emma glanced down at Regina, her face pale and her lips white as she pressed them together. “What about her?” 

“She dropped me off,” Regina replied before another contraction hit and she was told to push again. She kept her eyes on Emma, and noticed the way she swayed. 

“Um, I forgot...I mean I didn’t know.” 

She looked like she was about to faint, and Regina opened her mouth to point it out when the gynecologist cleared her throat to get their attention. 

“Emma, would you be able to sit behind Regina to help her push? She needs the support in her back and it’ll be a great way to be more involved in the process.”

Emma glanced down at Regina, the question clearly on her face. 

“Yes.” Regina could hear the strain in her own voice and cleared her throat. “Please.” 

“Okay. Regina, lean forward to let Emma slip in behind you.” The gynecologist nodded as they followed her directions without question, and before long Emma was settled in behind Regina and had her arms wrapped around her torso, as instructed. “Now, next contraction I want you to give Regina a push. You’ll know what to do just as she’ll know what to do.” 

And they did. 

The contractions followed each other closely and Regina hardly had time to catch her breath, but with the help of Emma’s body, and Emma’s soft encouragement, she pushed through all the pain and even the exhaustion. 

“Just one more big push, Regina.” 

“You’re  _ so _ close, Regina,” Emma murmured softly into her hair and Regina whimpered. 

Her body was tired, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in Emma’s arms and fall asleep. She gritted her teeth and took a couple of deep breaths, her resolve strong as she got ready. 

They had told her that she only needed one more big push for the past five contractions, and all she wanted to do was yell at them to stop misleading her. 

The contraction caught her by surprise with its strength and she pushed as hard as she could. She grunted, the vein in her forehead popped up and her neck muscles strained as she pushed with everything she had.

She could feel the way her body adjusted to the baby moving out and it didn’t take long for him to expel his first real cry. Regina sank back against Emma as tears slid down her face. She closed her eyes, and took gulping breaths as she listened to Emma’s voice, but she couldn’t hear what she was saying. 

“He’s so beautiful, Regina,” Emma’s voice finally broke through the haze, and Regina blinked and glanced toward the nurse who held her son. The nurse gently laid him down on Regina’s chest, and Regina quickly wrapped her arms around him. 

She looked down at his little scrunched up face, and sobbed. He was  _ indeed  _ very beautiful and she felt her chest tighten as her heart swelled with love. 

“He’s perfect.” She investigated his body as she spoke, roaming her eyes over him and slowly moving her fingers over his toes and then his fingers. “He’s absolutely perfect.”

—SQ—

When she woke up hours later, the room was dark and her head felt like it was filled with cotton. She glanced around the room slowly, blinking to get rid of the haze in front of her eyes. 

“Don’t you worry, little nugget,” Emma’s soft voice floated toward her and pulled her back into the calm peace she’d felt before, when she’d held her son for the very first time. “I might not have a lot to give, but you can always count on me. Even with all of my flaws, I will love you anyway.”

Regina blinked when her throat tightened, tears filled her eyes. She wiped at her eyes only to find them wet when she pulled back, and she blinked harder to stop more tears from falling. She watched as Emma swayed with the baby in her arms, and spoke softly of everything that seemed to come up in her head.

Regina watched them, the two loves over her life happy and together, and she cleared her throat. She  _ had  _ to say the words. “Could you love  _ me  _ despite  _ my  _ flaws?”

Emma turned around, a genuine, gentle smile on her face as she moved toward Regina. 

The baby seemed content and happy in her arms and Regina had to bite her lip to stop the tears from flowing again, even as her throat tightened painfully. She looked up at Emma, and gasped at what she saw.

“I love you Regina,” Emma whispered, just as softly as she’d spoken to the baby. “I love you despite your flaws and I will always love you and this little nugget.” Regina nodded, her throat too tight to get the words out. She had to say them back, though, because what if Emma thought she didn’t love her? “I have flaws. I have issues. Could  _ you  _ love  _ me  _ anyway?” 

“I love you,” Regina husked. “I love you so much and I don’t want you to go away ever again.” She wiped at her cheeks again when she felt more tears slide down her face and she struggled to sit up a little more. 

“I never want to go anywhere either,” Emma said, her own voice shaking. 

“Let’s not waste any more time?” Regina murmured and Emma breathed deeply before she nodded her head. “I know it won’t be easy, with your business here, but I want you with us all the time.” 

“I’m sure we’ll find a way,” Emma whispered as she leaned forward. She placed the baby in Regina’s arms, and then pressed a kiss to her cheek. She moved to the other side and pressed a kiss to her other cheek, and then moved to press a gentle kiss to her lips. She pulled back, but Regina only felt disappointed for a moment.

She looked down at her son and smiled brightly, her body tired but energized as she took in everything about him. She loved him so deeply already, she wondered how she could ever have enjoyed life without him.

“Henry Daniel Mills,” she murmured softly against his mop of hair, and then looked up at Emma. 

Emma grinned at them. “That’s a big name for such a little man.” 

“He’ll grow into it.” Regina smiled and gestured for Emma to sit down next to her on the bed. She scooted aside a little, and winced when her body protested. “Are you up for an adventure?” 

Emma leaned closer and pressed her lips to Regina’s forehead. There was a gentleness in everything now that hadn’t been there before and it made Regina want to cry. 

_ Damn hormones.  _

“With you, always.”

_ **The end** _

**Author's Note:**

> That's all folks! I had a blast writing this, and editing it at the last possible moment, rushing my beta to follow me as we went through it. She ROCKS, and I just wanted to say it one last time! 
> 
> Also: writers and artists spent months creating the fics and art you enjoy, it would mean the world to me if you commented to tell me what you liked!


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